The Pearl Essay
The Pearl Essay
This novel shows a great example of a good family and the importance of staying together. It demonstrates the importance of being a strong family man, and a good leader. “The Pearl” is a story about a poor family who have nothing. Kino, who is a husband and father, has to provide for his family the best way he can.
One day he finds a pearl, but not an ordinary pearl, but one that could provide for generations to come. But with this really valuable pearl, comes lots of trouble too, and they attempt to protect it from greedy hands, so they could sell it and become wealthy. Kino is married to Juana, and he is a father to his newborn son. Being a husband and a father is tough, but Kino tries to be good to his family while protecting himself from people who want to steal the pearl from them. Kino has demonstrated that he is happily married to Juana and he has no plans to change that.
It is noticeable that this couple try their best to support each other, and keep each other happy.
One night in Chapter 3, a couple of “burglars” were trying to steal the pearl. Kino was scared but he was brave enough to try and subdue the burglar.
Even though he failed to catch him, he made an attempt. If his family wouldn’t had been there he would’ve coward in his bed, and let the burglar steal the pearl.
Chapter 4, when every pearl buyer in town rejected Kino’s proposed price, so they could buy it for a steal, Kino never gave up, he wanted the money, and he would not have the thought of having a beautiful wedding with Juana stolen from him, nor the chance of Coyotito having an education. Kino tried his best to give his family everything he couldn’t have, he was selfless. He did want a shiny
new rifle to defend himself, but that was only the peak of the iceberg.
Kino has been shown to be good father trough out “The Pearl”, and that he really cares about Coyotito. When he opened the oyster that was carrying the pearl for the first time he was thinking about his son, and that he wanted him to go to school. He wanted him to be smarter than him. He wanted his son to be smarter than himself, which displays selflessness and love. And I strongly believe that he loves he’s son more than anything else. When Coyotito was stung by a scorpion and needed a doctor, Kino took him to the doctor. The racist medical practitioner refused to help an “indian”. But Kino went out early next morning to fish for oyster with the objective to find pearls, so he could have a chance to pay
the doctor therefor he could save his son’s life. He needed money more than anything when his little boy was stung by the vicious scorpion, but his only choice was to find pearls and sell them.
Kino is brave and committed to being a father. Even though he has a great relationship with his wife and son, he isn’t perfect. He did beat his wife.
In chapter 5, Juana woke up early one night and stole the pearl from Kino because she believed it was evil and that it was going to destroy them. Kino chased after her, Juana held a rock above the pearl and was ready to smash it, but Kino was not going to let his wife destroy the only thing that could make him rich, therefor he kicked her in the ribs and hissed at her. He was angry. Even though what Juana didn’t make the best choice by wanting to destroy the pearl, Kino shouldn’t have beat her, it is an actions of the lowest of the low, and this abuse shouldn’t have been committed. After he beat his wife he killed a man, it was in self-defense, but this is important to the story because it shows what he is capable of, and that he could have killed Juana if he really wanted to. He had showed that he could have killed his own wife if it came to the circumstances. But just because he didn’t kill Juana, it doesn’t make it any less wrong that he “laid her out”. Beating his wife and killing a man shows the actions of a mass murderer, and then he, became one, he killed the ones on the mountain to protect his family, but killing a man was not a hard action for him to commit, which should worry the people around him. Being a husband and father is tough, its even tougher if your poor and discriminated. But finding an expensive pearl that could help you provide for you’re family is great, until you realize that no one wants to buy it from you, but kill you for it. “The Pearl” focuses a lot on the challenge of having a family and protecting them from danger. How are you supposed to provide for your family when no one wants to give you a job because of your race.
Finding something that could save you from starving would be great, but this like the story of Sisyphus, the closer you seem to be to reaching your goal, the farther you are, it’s like a curse. Raising a family has some of the toughest challenges of all, and it is important to keep your sanity at all times, no matter what.
