The Pearl, Steinbeck Free Essay Example, 1250 words

s School Topic The Pearl – John Steinbeck The book, â€Å"The Pearl† which almost every one of us reads at least once at school, is written by John Steinbeck who is known for his allegorical writings targeting capitalism and the evils it carries along (Hawker 2012). This book isn’t any different in the essence, as in this allegorical piece as well; the author has managed to maintain his socialist reputation. The book revolves around the central character of the story, Kino, who can`t afford a descent lifestyle for himself and his family. The story takes a turn when the son of Kino named Coyotito gets stung by a scorpion; however he feels helpless when he doesn’t have enough money to pay the doctor for the treatment. The story reaches its climax when Kino finds a huge pearl in the sea which he perceives as a life changing chip towards an extravagant lifestyle. However, as soon as the news reaches the people of the town conspiracies and evil plots overhaul the scenario, and a serious threat strikes Kino owing much to the valuable asset he now owns. We will write a custom essay sample on The Pearl, Steinbeck or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Bewildered by the situation, his partner Juana steals the pearl and throws it into the ocean, and when Kino discovers the fact he leaves her back to the ocean, and only takes her back when she recovers the pearl. Soon, they decide to leave for the capital as they weren’t getting the desired value for the pearls in the town and on their way they come across trackers who end up killing their son. Hopeless and full of regret, the couple returns to the town and Kino throws away the pearl into the ocean himself, as he realizes how the greed corrupted his soul and brought him to the edge of the life he was standing on then. He then remembers the words of his father describing how bad things are bound to happen when the station of life is disturbed. The book can be analyzed in many different layers and all of them carry distinct messages regarding the possession and the pursuit of wealth. Every character is symbolic for a value or for an element of lust, and every phase of the story is unique for the essence it portrays reflecting the evils associated with capitalism. The title of the novel in itself symbolized the message he wants to convey, i.e. a pearl can be associated with many different values or even assets. A pearl can symbolize beauty, at the same time wealth and lust as it possesses the shine as well as the monetary value which anyone would drool for. The title is the perfect choice for the writing as it complements the theme of the book, and provokes the readers as the interpretation is left totally upon the readers.