The roles of women and men have always been different from one another in the history; women are always seen as the non-dominant character. Even today in some cultures the ideology of man being dominant doesn’t change comparing to people who believe that both genders are equal because they have enough the knowledge and the awareness about gender equality. In “the Pearl” the townspeople have similar opinions about gender as most of the cultures had around mid 1900’s. The book shows us society believes that men and women have roles that had been identified and totally separated from each other. John Steinbeck differentiates men and women by clearly describing their roles within the household, how they interact with one another, and how each view themselves.

The book shows many details about Kino and Juana’s relationship by conversations and behaviors towards each other so that the book indicates how differently women and men are defined in their culture. “Kino looked into his pearl, and Juana cast her eyelashes down and arranged her shawl to cover her face so that her excitement could not be seen”. We can see Juana is forced to conceal and contain, even in front of her husband, whereas Kino is allowed to be outward with his emotions and desires. Also, men are the ones who are believed to make the best decisions in the families that their wives are not able to query or talk about the decision. “She knew she could help him best by being silent and by being near” is a sign for how obedient Juana forwards Kino and respects his decisions. Juana’s behaviors and obedience towards Kino is powerful proof that man had seen superior in their culture and beliefs.

Kino and Juana’s roles within the household are other district evidence because it affects society’s perfectives about the level of where two genders. The quote from the beginning of the book which is “When Kino had finished, Juana came back to the fire and ate her breakfast” shows that Juana wakes up before Kino, makes him breakfast, and eats after him. That makes the reader sense serious subservience going on in the town La Paz. Furthermore, Kino and Juana have completely separated roles that they are responsible in the house. Kino is liable to protect the family, earn money and Juana is liable to take care of her son Coyotito. When Coyotito got stung, the way that Kino explains Juana’s feelings show how desperate she is. “Kino had wondered often at the iron in his patient, fragile wife. She, who was obedient and respectful and cheerful and patient, she could arch her back in child pain with hardly a cry. She could stand fatigue and hunger almost better than Kino himself. In the canoe, she was a strong man. Kino draws his strength from his wife.” Even though Kino is trying to clarify his wife’s strength, the example that he gives which “like a strong man” proofs he believes strength is man ability just as the townspeople. The roles that Kino and Juana have at the house bear on the social position they have.

How Kino and Juana view themselves, as a human being is an outcome of the stereotypes about men and women, which the town believes. “He had said, “I am a man,” and that meant certain things to Juana. It meant that he was half insane and half god … and Juana had need of a man; she could not live without a man.” This is a quote that infers how men are dominant in the society. They seem so necessary and irreplaceable that a woman can’t think a life without a husband who was believed to take care of the family. Besides, “For every man in the world functions to the best of his ability, and no one does less than his best, no matter what he may think about it.” shows the view in their mind with is men are the superior characters and belief of they can make the best decisions.

As the differences between men and women have been shown throughout literature, Steinbeck explained the way that people of the La Paz see two genders. Even the smallest unit of society, the family, is capable of making the reader feel the ideology in the book. Kino and Juana effectively differentiate the roles of wife and husband ın how they interact with one another. “The pearl” has messages, which are timeless and universal, and it’s an excellent example to understand how men and women were vıewed so differently in the 1940’s.