Essay/Term paper: The pearl

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Book Reports

Ever

since Midas' lust for gold, it appears to be that man has

acquired a greed and appetite for wealth. Juana, the Priest,

and the doctor have all undergone a change due to money.

They are all affected by their hunger for wealth and inturn

are the base for their own destruction, and the destruction of

society. Steinbeck's "The Pearl" is a study of man's self

destruction through greed. Juana, the faithful wife of Kino, a

paltry peasant man, had lived a spiritual life for what had

seemed like as long as she could remember. When her son

Coyito fell ill from the bite of a scorpion, she eagerly turned

towards the spiritual aspects of life. Beginning to pray for her

son's endangered life. The doctor who had resided in the

upper-class section of the town, refused to assistant the

child, turning them away when they arrived at the door.

Lastly they turned to the sea to seek their fortune. When

Juana set sight on the "Pearl of The World." she felt as

though all her prayers had been answered, if she could have

foreseen the future what she would have seen would have

been a mirror image of her reality. Juana's husband was

caught in a twisted realm of mirrors, and they were all

shattering one by one. In the night he heard a "sound so soft

that it might have been simply a thought..." and quickly

attacked the trespasser. This is where the problems for

Juana and her family began. The fear that had mounted in

Kino's body had taken control over his actions. Soon even

Juana who had always had faith in her husband, had

doubted him greatly. "It will destroy us all" she yelled as her

attempt to rid the family of the pearl had failed. Kino had not

listened however, and soon Juana began to lose her spiritual

side and for a long time she had forgotten her prayers that

had at once meant so much to her. She had tried to help

Kino before to much trouble had aroused, only to discover

that she was not competent enough to help. A hypocrathic

oath is said before each medical student is granted a

Doctors degree. In the oath they swear to aid the ill, and

cure the injured. In the village of La Paz there lived a doctor

who had earned his wealth by helping those that were ill and

could afford his services. Not once in his long career would

he have dared refuse to aid a wealthy lawyer or noblemen.

However when Kino and the group of money hungry

peasants arrived at his door with a poisoned child he had

refused them entry saying "Have I nothing better to do than

cure insect bites for `little Indians'? I am a doctor, not a

veterinary." for the doctor had known that the peasants

hadn't any money. He had been to Paris and had enjoyed

the splendors of the world, and therefore he wouldn't be

seen dealing with the less fortunate as he knew that the less

fortunate would surely always be just that-less fortunate.

However it seemed that he had been stereotypical of the less

fortunate, as he soon discovered when hearing of a great

pearl discovered by the peasants who had knocked upon his

door earlier that day. A hunger for wealth was what pushed

him to visit the peasants house and aid their destitute son.

However he had already ended Coyito's life without

knowing he'd done so, for if he had administered aid to

Coyito when they were first at the doctors door, Kino

would have no reason to seek his fortune in the ocean, and

would not be led down the road to hardships. One might

think that a doctor, one who has the image of being passive,

and caring should not stoop to such a level. When one is

down on their luck, chances are they will turn to superstition

in hope to acquire what it is that they would want to achieve.

A good example of this would be a good luck charm such as

a rabbit's foot. In La Paz the peasants were uneducated and

probably had never heard of a superstition. The peasants

only reliability, there only scapegoat was God. God had

always been their to aid them in there times of need. The first

reaction of Juana when seeing the scorpion is a good

example of spirituality, rather than attempt to kill the

scorpion she began to pray to God for safety. In La Paz the

only form of God that the peasants knew was that of the

Priest of the church. To the peasants the Priest was so

God-like that they were unable to see any faults in his

actions. However the reader is able to determine that the

Priest is abusing his position in society. In order to receive

the sacraments the person requesting the sacrament must

"donate" a small amount of money to the church. Whether

this is correct or not is a matter of opinion. The church

definetly needs funding but the peasants are unable to donate

these funds, but, does that make them unable to receive the

sacraments should they want to acquire them? The Priest is

so set on achieving money and social status that he puts

aside the real reason one becomes a Priest- to help, and

teach the word of God. In "The Pearl", Steinbeck expresses

the fact that man's manifestation for wealth and property

leads to the self destruction of man, both mentally, and

physically. The Priest of La Paz, The doctor, and Juana

were all affected by the affects of greed. Whether they are

striving for wealth or are in the path of those that are, they

are all equally affected. The story of Midas lives on as a

caution to those who crave the warmth and comfort of

money. Beckoning to those who struggle to achieve wealth,

and hoping that they will respond, and possibly not put

wealth on the top shelf of life.