Essay on The Pearl
June 14, 2013
The American Nightmare: Symbolism in The Pearl
In his novel, The Pearl, John Steinbeck utilizes imagery and symbolism to convey the underlying themes of Kino’s tragic tale. The pearl is a symbol of promise and hope for Kino and the other characters in the story. Conversely, the pearl epitomizes the catastrophic effects of greed on humans, their morale, and judgement. The scorpion emblemizes arbitrary evil, and is the cause of all tragedy in The Pearl. Moreover, the scorpion is analogous to the colonists who oppress Kino and his people. These three symbols portray the fundamental themes of The Pearl and how they affect Kino and his family.
The pearl is a symbol of hope, a utopian future for Kino and his family. Kino deems the pearl as a crystal ball of sorts and when he looks in to its surface he sees his future. Steinbeck portrays this when he writes, “And in the incandescence of the pearl the pictures formed of the things Kino’s mind had considered in the past and had given up as impossible.” (Steinbeck 24) Kino dreams of having nice clothing, getting married, giving Coyotito an education, and a rifle, the one item that “broke down the barriers.” (Steinbeck 25) The thought of having a rifle means the world to the poor diver and gives him renewed passion and vigour in his quest for a buyer. The mere notion of wealth drives Kino because he so badly wants to escape the restraints of colonial oppression and feel like a person, not the animal that the people saw him and the Indians to be. He will be free of poverty and achieve the quintessential American dream. His naiveté so innocent yet so fierce, Kino believes that this Pearl of the World will bring only good to his family. The pearl has a reflective surface, literally and figuratively. What a person is looking for in the pearl he will see: Kino sees a road paved
The American Nightmare: Symbolism in The Pearl
In his novel, The Pearl, John Steinbeck utilizes imagery and symbolism to convey the underlying themes of Kino’s tragic tale. The pearl is a symbol of promise and hope for Kino and the other characters in the story. Conversely, the pearl epitomizes the catastrophic effects of greed on humans, their morale, and judgement. The scorpion emblemizes arbitrary evil, and is the cause of all tragedy in The Pearl. Moreover, the scorpion is analogous to the colonists who oppress Kino and his people. These three symbols portray the fundamental themes of The Pearl and how they affect Kino and his family.
The pearl is a symbol of hope, a utopian future for Kino and his family. Kino deems the pearl as a crystal ball of sorts and when he looks in to its surface he sees his future. Steinbeck portrays this when he writes, “And in the incandescence of the pearl the pictures formed of the things Kino’s mind had considered in the past and had given up as impossible.” (Steinbeck 24) Kino dreams of having nice clothing, getting married, giving Coyotito an education, and a rifle, the one item that “broke down the barriers.” (Steinbeck 25) The thought of having a rifle means the world to the poor diver and gives him renewed passion and vigour in his quest for a buyer. The mere notion of wealth drives Kino because he so badly wants to escape the restraints of colonial oppression and feel like a person, not the animal that the people saw him and the Indians to be. He will be free of poverty and achieve the quintessential American dream. His naiveté so innocent yet so fierce, Kino believes that this Pearl of the World will bring only good to his family. The pearl has a reflective surface, literally and figuratively. What a person is looking for in the pearl he will see: Kino sees a road paved