Thesis Statement: Kino’s lack of material items did not keephim from happiness until he thought it was possible toacquire a greater amount of wealth and increase hishappiness through the pearl. In turn, this resulted in thedownfall of Kino and his family. I. Kino’s life before thepearl brought him satisfaction and contentment A.
Family 1. “Juana is driven, although instinctively as a woman to healthe family, nevertheless in reality to act for the man toprotect the family. ” (Karsten 6) a. Raised and took care ofthe family b. Held together the family with love and care 2. Coyotito – Kino’s son a.
Kino’s pride and joy b. Broughttogether Kino and Juana and made them a family 3. JuanTomas – Kino’s brother a. Supported Kino throughout hislife b.
“We do know that we are cheated from birth to theovercharge on our coffins. But we survive. You have defiednot the pearl buyers, but the whole structure, the whole wayof life, and I am afraid for you. ” (Steinbeck 70) B.
Possessions 1. Home – brush hut a. Provided protection andshelter b. Brought together the family in unity 2.
Canoe -family heirloom a. Passed down from grandfather to fatherto son b. “Kino and Juana came slowly down to the beachand to Kino’s canoe, which was the one thing of value heowned in the world. ” (Steinbeck 19) c. “It was onceproperty and source of food, for a man with a boat canguarantee a woman that she will eat something. ” (Steinbeck19) C.
Song of the family a. Prevalent in the beginning b. Brought a feeling of unity c. “.
. . the Song of the Family isidentified along with other unnamed songs, the heritage ofKino’s people, in the calm beginning of the story. . .
(Karsten2) II. Changes and alterations brought about by the pearl A. Kino immediately began to make a list of things that hewanted to buy with the pearl’s wealth 1. Kino has anopportunity for social mobility and acts upon it a.
Officialmarriage b. New clothes c. Rifle d. Harpoon e. Educationfor his son 2. Instantaneously, Kino’s desires became cloudya.
“There was no certainty in seeing, no proof that what yousaw was there or was not there. ” (Astro 29) b. Kino thenstarted doubting his dreams and the pearl became misty andcloudy. B. Kino’s community thought of him differentlybecause of his sudden acquired wealth 1.
Suddenly the towndeveloped an interest in Kino and his pearl a. “Every mansuddenly became related to Kino’s pearl. . .
” b. All of thesudden, everyone wanted to know Kino not because ofKino but because of the pearl c. “. . .
and only one personstood in the way and that was Kino, so that he becamecuriously every man’s enemy. ” (Astro 29) d. The onlyobstacle that stood in the way of someone else’s wealth wasKino. If someone wanted the pearl, Kino was the only thingfrom stopping that desire. 2. The community became greedythemselves and wanted a piece of wealth that Kinopossessed C.
Richer people showed an interest in Kino andhis wealth 1. The doctor decided to treat Coyotito’sscorpion bite after he found out about Kino’s rare discoveryof the pearl 2. The priest became interested in Kino’s wealthwhen he thought the money could be used to renovate hischurch D. Kino was overcome with greed which changedhis and his family’s way of living 1. Kino began to takethings from granted because he shut out his “old life”, onlythinking about what the pearl could give him a.
Song of theFamily b. Sound of the waves on the beach c. Doves d. Pigse. Goats f. Dog 2.
Juana’s rebellion a. Juana thought that thepearl was evil and that something was going to happen to thefamily b. Juana attempted to throw the pearl back into thesea c. Kino strikes Juana for her wrong doing 3.
Juanarealized that the pearl had definitely overcome Kino withgreed and evil a. “Juana realized the irrevocable change andaccepts it to keep the family together. . . ” (Karsten 2) b.
“Thispearl has become my soul. . . If I give it up I shall lose mysoul.
” (Astro 30) 4. Kino, Juana, and Coyotito flee thecommunity a. Kino killed a man in a struggle over the pearlb. “The dark ones” burned Kino’s brush hut down c. JuanTomas and his family provided protection for Kino and hisfamily until they could flee the area III.
Destruction of Kino’sfamily A. Kino was losing many things very close to him dueto his insistence on keeping the pearl and pursuing itspotential 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 asthe killing of a boat. For a boat does not have sons, and aboat cannot protect itself, and a wounded boat does noheal. ” (Steinbeck 80) 3.
Coyotito a. Killed by one of thetrackers b. Destroyed the link between the family B. Due tothe evil the pearl brought, Kino decided that enough damagewas done 1. Kino hurled the pearl back into the sea 2. Thisgesture symbolized defeat in that the pearl brought so muchevil and greed that Kino was defeated by it.
It could alsomean the Kino finally overcame his greediness and threw histroubles away back where they came from.
