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The Pearl: Depictions Of Life - Online Term Paper

The Pearl: Depictions Of Life

In John Steinbeck's The Pearl, a destitute pearl diver finds a giant
pearl with which he hopes to buy peace and happiness for his family. Instead,
he learns that the valuable pearl can not buy happiness but only destroy his
simple life. Throughout the fable, there is a constant theme woven through the
characters and setting which encompasses the struggle among social classes to
become successful. Steinbeck, a novelist known for his realistic depictions of
life, portrays this motif through Kino, the doctor, Coyotito, and the town of La
Paz.
John Earnst Steinbeck, author of The Pearl and many other stories, was
born on February 27, 1902, in Salinas, California. Both his father, who ran ...

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originated from a legend about the misfortunes of a
poor boy who found a giant pearl that was told to Steinbeck while on a trip to
Mexico.
Kino, the protagonist in The Pearl, is an honest pearl diver that
discovers the sacrifices that come with the struggle for success. He dreams of
the education the pearl could provide for his son, but the pearl also makes Kino
more suspicious of the peaceful villagers around him. At one point, he tries to
sell the pearl in order to pay for a doctor Coyotito needs, but the pearl buyers
only try to cheat him of the success he feels he deserves. Then Kino tries to
leave the town, but his fear only causes him to shoot Coyotito accidentally.
Finally, Kino returns to La Paz and throws the pearl into the sea. Kino, a
symbol of hard work and ambition, is destroyed by his dreams of a better life.
The town doctor also demonstrates how the struggle for success can
corrupt people. This "healer" is more interested in money than the welfare of
others. ...

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The Pearl: Depictions Of Life. (2006, December 29). Retrieved January 1, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Pearl-Depictions-Of-Life/57864

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 12/29/2006 02:59:40 PM
Category: Book Reports
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 855
Pages: 4

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