Thesis Statement: KinoÆs 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. KinoÆs life before the pearl brought him satisfaction and contentment
A. Family
1. ôJuana is driven, although instinctively as a woman to heal the family, nevertheless in reality to act for the man to protect the family.ö
(Karsten 6)
a. Raised and took care of the family
b. Held together the family with love and care
2. Coyotito - KinoÆs son
a. KinoÆs pride and joy
b. Brought together Kino and Juana and made them a family
3. Juan Tomαs - KinoÆs brother
a. Supported Kino throughout his life
b. ôWe 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.ö (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. ôKino and Juana came slowly down to the beach and to KinoÆs canoe, which was the one thing of value he owned in the world.ö (Steinbeck 19)
c. ôIt was once property and source of food, for a man with a boat can guarantee a woman that she will eat something.ö
(Steinbeck 19)
C. Song of the family
a. Prevalent in the beginning
b. Brought a feeling of unity
c. ô... the Song of the Family is identified along with other unnamed songs, the heritage of KinoÆs 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 pearlÆs 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, KinoÆs desires became cloudy
a. ôThere was no certainty in seeing, no proof that what you saw was there or was not there.ö (Astro 29)
b. Kino then started doubting his dreams and the pearl became misty and cloudy.
B. KinoÆs community thought of him differently because of his sudden acquired wealth
1. Suddenly the town developed an interest in Kino and his pearl
a. ôEvery man suddenly became related to KinoÆs pearl...ö
b. All of the sudden, everyone wanted to know Kino not because
of Kino but because of the pearl
c. ô...and only one person stood in the way and that was Kino, so that he became curiously every manÆs enemy.ö (Astro 29)
d. The only obstacle that stood in the way of someone elseÆs 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 CoyotitoÆs scorpion bite after he found out about KinoÆs rare discovery of the pearl
2. The priest became interested in KinoÆs wealth when he thought the money could be used to renovate his church
D. Kino was overcome with greed which changed his and his familyÆs way of living
1. Kino began to take things from granted because he shut out his ôold lifeö, 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. JuanaÆs 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. ôJuana realized the irrevocable change and accepts it to keep the family together...ö (Karsten 2)
b. ôThis pearl has become my soul... If I give it up I shall lose my
soul.ö (Astro 30)
4. Kino, Juana, and Coyotito flee the community
a. Kino killed a man in a struggle over the pearl
b. ôThe dark onesö burned KinoÆs brush hut down
c. Juan Tomαs and his family provided protection for Kino and his
family until they could flee the area
III. Destruction of KinoÆs 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 ôthe dark onesö
b. Source of the family was lost
2. Canoe
a. Destroyed by ôthe dark onesö
b. ôThe 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.ö (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.