Essay/Term paper: Yes, another the pearl

Essay, term paper, research paper:  Book Reports

Thesis Statement: Kino"s lack of material items did not keep

him from happiness until he thought it was possible to

acquire a greater amount of wealth and increase his

happiness through the pearl. In turn, this resulted in the

downfall of Kino and his family. I. Kino"s life before the

pearl brought him satisfaction and contentment A. Family 1.

"Juana is driven, although instinctively as a woman to heal

the family, nevertheless in reality to act for the man to

protect the family." (Karsten 6) a. Raised and took care of

the family b. Held together the family with love and care 2.

Coyotito - Kino"s son a. Kino"s pride and joy b. Brought

together Kino and Juana and made them a family 3. Juan

Tomàs - Kino"s brother a. Supported Kino throughout his

life b. "We do know that we are cheated from birth to the

overcharge on our coffins. But we survive. You have defied

not the pearl buyers, but the whole structure, the whole way

of life, and I am afraid for you." (Steinbeck 70) B.

Possessions 1. Home - brush hut a. Provided protection and

shelter b. Brought together the family in unity 2. Canoe -

family heirloom a. Passed down from grandfather to father

to son b. "Kino and Juana came slowly down to the beach

and to Kino"s canoe, which was the one thing of value he

owned in the world." (Steinbeck 19) c. "It was once

property and source of food, for a man with a boat can

guarantee a woman that she will eat something." (Steinbeck

19) C. Song of the family a. Prevalent in the beginning b.

Brought a feeling of unity c. "... the Song of the Family is

identified along with other unnamed songs, the heritage of

Kino"s people, in the calm beginning of the story... (Karsten

2) II. Changes and alterations brought about by the pearl A.

Kino immediately began to make a list of things that he

wanted to buy with the pearl"s wealth 1. Kino has an

opportunity for social mobility and acts upon it a. Official

marriage b. New clothes c. Rifle d. Harpoon e. Education

for his son 2. Instantaneously, Kino"s desires became cloudy

a. "There was no certainty in seeing, no proof that what you

saw was there or was not there." (Astro 29) b. Kino then

started doubting his dreams and the pearl became misty and

cloudy. B. Kino"s community thought of him differently

because of his sudden acquired wealth 1. Suddenly the town

developed an interest in Kino and his pearl a. "Every man

suddenly became related to Kino"s pearl..." b. All of the

sudden, everyone wanted to know Kino not because of

Kino but because of the pearl c. "...and only one person

stood in the way and that was Kino, so that he became

curiously every man"s enemy." (Astro 29) d. The only

obstacle that stood in the way of someone else"s wealth was

Kino. If someone wanted the pearl, Kino was the only thing

from stopping that desire. 2. The community became greedy

themselves and wanted a piece of wealth that Kino

possessed C. Richer people showed an interest in Kino and

his wealth 1. The doctor decided to treat Coyotito"s

scorpion bite after he found out about Kino"s rare discovery

of the pearl 2. The priest became interested in Kino"s wealth

when he thought the money could be used to renovate his

church D. Kino was overcome with greed which changed

his and his family"s way of living 1. Kino began to take

things from granted because he shut out his "old life", only

thinking about what the pearl could give him a. Song of the

Family b. Sound of the waves on the beach c. Doves d. Pigs

e. Goats f. Dog 2. Juana"s rebellion a. Juana thought that the

pearl was evil and that something was going to happen to the

family b. Juana attempted to throw the pearl back into the

sea c. Kino strikes Juana for her wrong doing 3. Juana

realized that the pearl had definitely overcome Kino with

greed and evil a. "Juana realized the irrevocable change and

accepts it to keep the family together..." (Karsten 2) b. "This

pearl has become my soul... If I give it up I shall lose my

soul." (Astro 30) 4. Kino, Juana, and Coyotito flee the

community a. Kino killed a man in a struggle over the pearl

b. "The dark ones" burned Kino"s brush hut down c. Juan

Tomàs and his family provided protection for Kino and his

family until they could flee the area III. Destruction of Kino"s

family A. Kino was losing many things very close to him due

to his insistence on keeping the pearl and pursuing its

potential wealth 1. Hut a. Burned down by "the dark ones"

b. Source of the family was lost 2. Canoe a. Destroyed by

"the dark ones" b. "The killing of a man was not so evil as

the killing of a boat. For a boat does not have sons, and a

boat cannot protect itself, and a wounded boat does no

heal." (Steinbeck 80) 3. Coyotito a. Killed by one of the

trackers b. Destroyed the link between the family B. Due to

the evil the pearl brought, Kino decided that enough damage

was done 1. Kino hurled the pearl back into the sea 2. This

gesture symbolized defeat in that the pearl brought so much

evil and greed that Kino was defeated by it. It could also

mean the Kino finally overcame his greediness and threw his

troubles away back where they came from.