Topic > Symbolism in The Pearl by John Steinbeck

“It is not good to desire something too much. Sometimes luck turns away. You have to want it enough and you have to be very tactful with the gods or gods. The Pearl, a story written by John Steinbeck, the author in which he introduces Coyotito, Kino's child, a poor fisherman and his wife Juana. It all begins when calamity befalls the family when the newborn Coyotito is stung by a scorpion and the doctor refuses to treat the child due to their race and lack of money. The irritation drives Kino and Juana desperately into the sea to pearl dive, hoping to find a pearl that could be valuable for Coyotito's treatment. While diving, he finds the so-called “Pearl of the World”. On the surface of the pearl he sees a better future, new clothes and an education for his son. Kino goes to sell it but the pearl traders try to undercut it and buy it as cheaply as possible. After his house is ransacked and attacked by intruders, Kino decides to sell the pearl in the capital. They cross the mountains but realize they are being followed by three men. Then everything goes differently and unexpectedly. In this text I will analyze the symbols that Steinbeck used to convey messages and show thoughts. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Symbols like the scorpion, pearl, and canoe added a deeper meaning to the story. The first of them is the scorpion who changed the course of Kino and his family's life. The scorpion symbolizes evil. Steinbeck's choice of words and the song of evil make clear: "Into his mind had come a new song, the song of evil, the music of the enemy, of any enemy of the family, a wild, secret, dangerous melody, and underneath, the Family Song cried plaintively” that the scorpion is the true source of evil, through Kino's feelings and thoughts even before his child was stung (was stung). The greedy doctor and the scorpion were the two reasons to find the great pearl that marked the beginning of a new dark chapter in Kino's life. Scorpion venom, considered one of the deadly poisons, was only cured by a little sea sand, but there is another poison that is. the poison of the chimes that cannot be healed by anything. The second symbol is the pearl, the pearl has many symbols in the story at the beginning of the story the pearl is seen as a savior and a key that would open many doors for Coyotito, " And for Kino the secret melody of the perhaps pearl broke clear and beautiful, rich and warm and lovely, shining and gloating and triumphant. On the surface of the large pearl he could see dream shapes. The author described the pearl as a symbol of beauty, financial value and hope. All of Kino's dreams depended on the pearl, it would help the poor fisherman pay for his son's treatment and free him from poverty. As the story continues, the symbols of the pearl change. The pearl becomes a symbol of destruction because it destroys Kino's life, character and becomes the cause of his son's death. The simple life of the humble fisherman with the value of love and loyalty transformed into a monster. The third symbol is the canoe. The canoe symbolizes the simplification of Kino's life when he lived a peaceful life full of love without any need for wealth and values. “Kino and Juana slowly walked down to the beach and Kino's canoe, which was the only thing of value he owned in the world.” The author reinforces the message that the canoe was a very important thing in Kino's life because it was his livelihood and the link between him and his heritage. The destruction of Kino's canoe meant cutting the connection between Kino and his life.