...Literary devices in a story can really bring out its themes and the point that the author is trying to get across. John Steinbeck’s novel The Pearl is abounding with literary devices that are used to show greed. Greed had a very important role in this novel. The main character, Kino, had found what he called ‘the pearl of the world’ and was overcome with greed because of this relic. Kino originally wanted to use this pearl’s wealth to heal his son, Coyotito, who was stung by a scorpion. However, it wasn’t just Kino that was overcome with the power of the pearl-some characters in the book felt its pull indirectly. This novel shows symbolism, foreshadowing, and character reactions to the power of the pearl. Symbolism in this novel is extremely prevalent. The author uses different, seemingly unrelated sentences in the story to show how you can use symbolism to show an emotion, such as greed. One of these examples shows ants in Kino’s brush house. “The ants were busy on the ground, big black ones with shiny bodies, and little dusty quick ants. Kino watched with the detachment of God while a dusty ant frantically tried to escape the sand trap an ant lion had dug for him.” (Steinbeck, 8). This shows not only the lives of the ants and how they are different, but it shows how the lives of the ants are similar to those of the brush and plaster house people. The little ants are the brush house people, trying to go their own way and mind their own business. However, the large ants, shown...
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...In his novel, The Pearl, John Steinbeck uses characterization to develop the idea that greed is a destructive force. A second example of destructive greed in The Pearl is the character of the doctor. First, during the procession led by Kino towards the doctor’s house, as they pass by the church and the beggars, John gives insight to the beggars’ knowledge of the whole town, “They knew his [the doctor] ignorance, his cruelty, his avarice, his sins. They knew his clumsy abortions and the little brown pennies he gave sparingly for alms,” (9). The beggars describe the doctor; his greed and cruelty, how he cares not for the well-being of his patients, but for how much money he can make and keep from them. The patients having the abortions lives’...
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... This part of the book is about the fishing village get hit by a tsunami. It all started when Kino was working at his family’s rice farm. He noticed the beautiful view of the blue sea. After he was done working, he then went to find Jiya, when he did find him Kino told the view of the sea. But Jiya said that “the sea is our enemy” which made Kino confused because the sea is very beautiful and it was hard to make Kino understand that Jiya was telling the truth. Then, they decided to go to the sacred deer island. There Kino feed the deer and got to look at Old Gentleman’s castle closer. They both had peeked into the garden to see the beautiful landscape. After that, both of them went into the cave that they always had visited. Near sunset, Kino told Jiya it is time to head back to the village where Jiya’s father is waiting for them to come back. Jiya’s father was worried about where they had been. Jiya told him they were at deer island the cave but his father was still worried. Then Jiya asked Kino if he wants to come along on a fishing trip, which he said yes. The next dad Kino’s mother was packing Kino lunchbox with cold rice and fish. Then, Kino was heading down to the fishing docks to meet Jiya and his father. After they got on the boat and went out to the sea, they noticed the volcano about to erupt again, so they all headed back to their houses, when Kino got back, his mother was already preparing for an earthquake to happen. Throughout the day, no fishing boats were seen...
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...Theme Art Explanation One of the themes of the pearl is greed that corrupts the minds of people and makes them want more and greed is a corruptive influence. The doctor, the priest, and the people envy for the pearl’s wealth and want things from the wealth of the pearl. The pearl’s wealth changes the good people to become greedy for wanting money and wealth from the pearl. The picture shown shows the greediness of the doctor, the priest, Kino, and one of the townspeople and how the wealth of the pearl made them want to take it from Kino, become richer and have more wealth. Greed corrupted the minds of the people in La Paz, from them becoming envious of the pearl to trying to take the pearl from Kino. The theme of the pearl is the greediness...
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...Sample Critical Lens Essay • With the person sitting next to you, read the essay below. (2-3 min) • What are the parts of the critical lens essay? (5-10 min) o Label the parts of the introduction (REAL) o Make a list of the parts of the body paragraphs • Be ready to share out your findings. (2-3 min) “In spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart.” -Anne Frank Anne Frank said, “In spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart.” This means that even if people do bad things, deep down they are still good people that care for other human beings and have feelings. I agree with this statement. In the novella The Pearl by John Steinbeck and the novel A Separate Peace by John Knowles, the characters Kino and Gene are still good at heart despite the bad things they may have done. In the novella The Pearl by John Steinbeck, Kino is a young Mexican man who finds a valuable pearl. Before finding the pearl, Kino has a peaceful life with his wife, Juana and his son, Coyotito. Kino finds a pearl and people try to take advantage of him to get their hands on the pearl. Because of this, Kino is driven to do things he normally would not and the mood of the story turns dark. He beats a man who tries to attack him, he beats his wife for trying to get rid of the pearl and the bad luck it is causing Kino’s family and finally, he kills a man who tries to take the pearl away...
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...The Pearl by John Steinbeck is a great book that depicts how greed can corrupt a man. The Pearl is best known for its surplus of imagery and symbolism. One example of symbolism Steinbeck incorporated in the book is Kino’s boat. Kino’s boat can be seen as a symbol for family. His family was all pearl divers and the boat had been passed down from generation to generation. The songs that Kino hears are also symbols. They symbolize what is going around him. For example, when Kino first sees the pearl in its shell, he hears the Song of the Pearl That Might Be, also, when the doctor enters Kino’s home, he hears the Song of Evil. Another example of symbolism Steinbeck included is the pearl itself. When Kino first finds the pearl, it is seen as...
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...Essay Topic Discuss the effect of the pearl on Kino and the townfolk. 1. INTRODUCTIONIt helps to think of the introduction as having three parts- a) a general statement or background about the issue in the topic , b) an outline of various possible arguments c) a clearly indicated viewpoint or opinion | In John Steinbeck’s “The Pearl” Kino and the townfolk were deeply affected by the discovery of the pearl. The pearl had negative effect on people. It brought out evil, greed and jealousy. This was evident in the change of attitude towards Kino from the priest and the doctor. Further example of the effect of the pearl was shown in the way Kino was treated by the pearl dealers. The effect of the pearl was also revealed in the change of Kino. It led to the great tragedy of the family. | 2. BODYA good method to use for the body is the so-called TEEL method:T=topic sentence, E= expansion or explanation,E= example or evidence, L= link | To begin with, people changed their attitudes towards Kino after he found the pearl. The priest was one of them. He was well respected by Kino and his people as he was considered to be the representative of God, and therefore the most powerful person in town. The priest, however, abused his power and people’s trust. He did nothing to help Kino and his family when they were poor. For example, he didn’t marry Kino and Juana in the church. Neither did he baptize Coyotito. When the baby was stung by the scorpion, he offered...
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...In “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck, the pearl changes from when Kino finds the pearl and at the end when he trows it away. The pearl to Kino is very special he even says it has become his soul which makes his brother Juan Tomas. When Kino gets the pearl they say he found the pearl of the world. Since Coyotito got stung by a scorpion he needed the doctor, but the doctor does not treat Kino’s people and says he is not a vet and does not treat animals. The doctor also ask kino if he has before he treats Coyotito, but since he has the pearl he helps them. Everyone wants the pearl that kino has. Kino gets attacked twice because people want to take the pearl. he has to hide the pearl in his own house so know one takes it.Kino’s house gets burned...
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...In John Steinbeck’s, The Pearl, readers meet Kino, a pearl-diver who leads and supports his family, and his wife, Juana, who fits into the role as a normal wife at the time. When Kino finds a magnificent pearl, both of their lives change forever. They dream of how the pearl will lift them out of poverty and give their son, Coyotito, more possibilities in his future. However, the pearl also sparks an evilness in their family that slowly tears them apart. The two differ through their mental strength, but Juana and Kino share similarities in their confined roles as a husband and wife. With the support and balance of their differences and similarities, the two fuel off of each other, they create a unity between each other. Juana and Kino’s strength show differences through their approach of accomplishing their dreams for their son, Coyotito, and the hope of what the family may become. After Kino dives into the bay with his physical strength and finds the “pearl- of-the-world” which could make their dreams a reality, an intruder attacks the family in their hut at night,” There was a soft scurry in the doorway, and running steps for a moment, and then silence (...) ‘It is nothing,’ Kino said, but his eyes and his voice were hard and cold and a brooding hate was growing in him. Now the tension which has been growing in Juana had boiled up to the surface and her lips were thin.’This thing is evil,’ she cried harshly. (...) ‘This is our one chance,’ he said. ‘Our son must go to school...
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...What delusions, disguised as opportunities, ruin the lives of decent men? The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, explores in simple language the At first, the pearl symbolizes a way out of Kino’s poverty status, but by the end of the novel, the pearl embodies Kino’s soul. As a poor pearl fisher, Kino belongs to the bottom of society, dwelling in a “brush house in the tuna clump”, but this changes when he produces a lucky find (1). “...of the great pearl he could see dream forms. He picked the pearl from the dying flesh and... saw that its curve was perfect” (19). Kino’s gift stems from the death of the oyster, and since he expects the full benefits of a gift forcefully taken from life, he obtains Steinbeck’s mockery- ‘dream forms’, wishes beyond...
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...“Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do.”There is good in every man and I think this shows that there is good in Kino unless he does not show it.In the book The pearl by John.Steinback,their is a fisherman who is named Kino.He has a wife named Juana,and a baby boy named Coyotito.They are poor,and Kino fishes for pearls to support him and his family.Some key points that are in the book have to do with selfishness,greed,and loyalty. I think kino gets caught up with greed in the story and has trouble thinking of his family.He puts more thought into the pearl rather than the people closest to him.”How can we know what is a fair price if we do not know what the pearl buyer get for the pearl in another place?”pg.43-Kino is trying to get a good price,but he is risking what he can already get for it by wanting to go to another place than just selling it for...
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...Have you ever wished for something valuable, to get you out of a difficult situation? Yet, when you have it, you wish you never wished for it in the first place? Well, The Pearl written by John Steinbeck is a parable, a story that teaches a moral lesson. The focus of this novel is on a poor Indian family. The family consists of three members: Kino, a husband, father, and fisherman, Juana, his wife and loving mother; and Coyotito their infant son. This indigent family lives in a small brush hut along the Gulf of Mexico by the town of La Paz. One day a scorpion bites Coyotito; a scorpion sting can be deadly to a baby. Kino and Juana are very worried over the health of their baby; therefore, they hope to find a pearl worthy enough for the doctor’s payment to the doctor to treat Coyotito. With luck on their side, Kino finds a pearl the size of a seagull’s egg; he calls it “The Pearl of the World.” This novel like others is centered on a major theme; the theme of a literary work is defined as the main idea, concern or purpose about life that the author wants to convey to his or her reader. John Steinbeck in his novel The Pearl reveals the vital theme of Kino and his family’s struggle with greed and ambitious, meanwhile they had already had everything they needed it. Yet illustrates the readers a valuable lesson the character learn thought out the struggles Kino and Juana go through. Thanks to their desire on materials, they never needed in the first place. This major theme of...
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...Drew Forbes English 1 Honors 12/30/14 Theme Essay The Pearl Theme "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck is said to have many themes or lessons to it, but which was the main/most important one? I think the main theme in the book is greed. Kino defended his pearl from those who wanted it, killed people just so he can keep it safe, he also started thinking/acting differently because of the pearl. Lastly Kino's greed led him to kill his son, the one who he had many hopes and dreams for because of the pearl. An example of greed in the story is when people desire for the pearl was too great that they attempted to steal Kino's pearl but Kino defended it with his life, "But Juana's hand came creeping over to him in warning, and then the sound came again! the whisper of a foot on dry earth and the scratch of fingers in the soil" (Steinbeck 37). He also killed just to keep the pearl safe even though all of those around him told him it has brought evil, "He heard the rush, got his knife out and lunged at one dark figure and felt his knife go home, and then he was swept to his knees and swept again to the ground" (Steinbeck 59). Kino also stated how he has become every single man’s enemy, “Every man suddenly became related to Kino’s pearl, and Kino’s pearl went into the dreams, the spectacles, the schemes, the plans, the futures, the wished, the needs, the lusts, the hungers, of everyone, and only one person stood in the way and that was Kino, so that he became curiously every man’s enemy”...
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...What drives Kino? Is it family? Greed? Pride? Fear? Make a case for one answer and provide references from the novel to back your position up. John Steinbeck, in his book “The Pearl”, showed us the history of Kino’s family. They faced a hard situation in which his son was stung by a scorpion and they didn’t have money to pay a doctor. Then, they found a big pearl and they would try to sell that to get money. In my opinion, this is the moment in which the history started to become hard for the Kino’s family because the feeling of greed and ambition drove Kino. After Kino finds the pearl, he just think in get a lot of money selling that. He also wishes in stay in a good financial situation. A passage that describes this is when Kino says “We will have new clothes” and “A rifle, perhaps a rifle”. The ambitions guide the man for always want more and more. Kino didn’t accept the low price that dealers offered, maybe he could take that money and pay a doctor for Coyotito but he didn’t, he was just thinking in money. Another factor that drove Kino was the greed for wealth. In the story, he did everything to don’t lose the pearl, until kill people. Before he gets the pearl, there was a family feeling, but after just a wish for materials goods. A passage that describes this is when the Kino’s wife, Juana, says “This thing is evil…This pearl is like a sin! It will destroy us”. I think the moral of the history is that wealth is benignant for human; however is...
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...The Pearl’s Lessons In John Steinbeck's The Pearl, there are a ton of life lessons. There are so many examples of life lessons it’s hard to pick one. Because of the many uses of life lessons, this novel has been named a parable. The main lessons I took away from this novel are money causes problems, people are more important than objects no matter how much “more valuable” the object is than the person, and listen to the people closest to you. In this novel the only reason people read it was because money caused Juana and Kino problems. Money was wrecking Kino’s relationship with Juana and Kino's brother Juan Tomas. The Pearl is a lot like Lord of the Rings in the sense that you have this object and people will do anything for it and the...
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