'The Pearl' by John Steinbeck.

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THE PEARL

   ‘The Pearl’ by John Steinbeck begins in a brush hut by the sea where Kino lives with his wife Juana and his son Coyotito in absolute poverty.  Although they live this poor life, Kino and Juana are very happy and desire no change in their life.  At this point in the story they both have no ambitions and have a good family life.  Because of this Kino hears the song of the family,

“In Kino’s head there was a song now, clear and soft, and if he had been able to speak of it, he would have called it the song of the family.”

Kino hears the song of the family when he is around his family living his simple, happy life.

   After Coyotito had been stung by the scorpion while lying in the hanging box where he slept and after the doctor had refused to cure him, Kino and Juana, with Coyotito in her arms, went out to sea in Kino’s canoe for him to do his daily work as a pearl fisherman.  This canoe was all that Kino owned.  It had been passed from Kino’s grandfather to Kino’s father and so to Kino.  Now because of the need for money to cure Coyotito, Kino and Juana both had a desire to find a pearl,

“And because the need was great and the desire was great, the little secret melody of the pearl that might be was stronger this morning.”

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This was the first time that Kino and Juana had ever desired anything.  On that morning while out at sea, Kino found an oyster that contained a large and perfect pearl,

“It was the greatest pearl in the world.”

Now that Kino has found ‘the Pearl of the World’, he begins to have great ambitions and desires,

“We will be married - in the church.”

“We will have new clothes.”

“A rifle.”

“My son will go to school.”

All these things were more than Kino could ever dream of before.  Now they became his ambitions.  Juana however, after the finding ...

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