The Pearl (ORR 4)

  


Title: The Pearl
Author: John Steinbeck
Genre: Fiction, Novel
Pages read: 41


We have just started reading this novel in class and I find it very interesting and very well written. It is very descriptive and you can visualize what is happening very easily. 
The book is set by the Golf of the Sea of Cortez and the main characters are Kino, a pearl diver, Juana, his wife, and Coyotito, their baby son. 
In the very beginning of the book, Coyotito gets stung by a scorpion and we see Kino's reaction towards his son. He is occupied squishing the scorpion to make sure that it is dead instead of going to see if Coyotito is okay. Then, Juana decides that she wants to see the doctor. This is very courageous of her because the doctor does not usually treat people of Kino's race. Well, when she gets to the doctor's house, he refuses to treat the dying baby because they do not have the money to pay for the treatment. 
Later on, whilst Kino is diving for pearls, he finds a very big oyster and when he opens it, he has found The Pearl of the World. In this pearl, the size of a seagull's head, Kino sees his future and the plans he will make for the family with the money from the pearl. He sees himself and Juana getting married, he sees the whole family with new clothes, shoes and hats. He also see that Coyotito is going to go to school, that he will be able to read and write and that he will be able to teach him and Juana things written in books. 
When the richer people find out that Kino has found the Pearl of the World, they all get jealous and they think of what they would do with all that money.
The Pearl of the World soon brings trouble to Kino and his family and Juana tries to persuade him to throw it back into the sea or bury it and forget the place.