Appearance Versus Reality In The Pearl Essay

, Research Paper

Thesis: In The Pearl, John Steinbeck depicts the subject of visual aspect versus world, as he explores Kino s journey through life with the pearl of the universe in his ownership.

I. Allegory

A. What is it?

1. A term used when an writer negotiations of one

thing, and thereby conveys another

2. Steinbeck ties it in with pragmatism

B. How does it bind in with the narrative?

1. Steinbeck stated, That the pearl is non

wholly in realistic tradition.

2. He takes a simple object and puts so much

item into it that the object is non

mercenary.

II. Realistic Detail

A. Embellishes Allegory

1. Steinbeck ever adds his touch

a. The tide pool description in chapter 2

B. The great air current transitions at the terminal of

chapter 5

– These transitions operate symbolically

every bit good as realistically

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– Some work together allegorically

2. Symbolism, fable, and realistic item

a. Animal imagination dominates the human

scene

b. Woven satisfactorily together

III. Kino s Strength

A. Proved that he can non be cheated nor destroyed

B. Highs to which he has risen instead than the

deepnesss to which he has slipped back

IV. Kino s Journey s

A. Search for Redemption

1. His desire for a better life

2. Cloaked in the enigma and darkness

B. Kino s strengths out of enduring

1. Triumphed over his enemy but merely because

the decease of his boy inspired him

2. Kino s intent to maintain the pearl was to

do a better life for his boy, but now

that Coyotito is gone, the pearl is traveling

excessively

V. Why does Steinbeck add pragmatism to the narrative?

A. Essential to the sheathing his primary media of

parable and folklore with the coat of pragmatism

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B. Animal Imagery pervades this novel with the

realistic item that becomes one of its

strengths

In The Pearl, John Steinbeck depicts the subject of visual aspect versus world, as he explores Kino s journey through life with the pearl of the universe in his ownership. The Pearl is a simple, lyrical narrative which Steinbeck called a black and white narrative like a parable. ( Bloom 27 ) It is a parable about the hunt for felicity and the nature of [ a ] adult male s need to take between the inherently benign natural life and the frenetic, self-oriented modern universe. ( 27 ) When the novel foremost began, Kino, his married woman Juana, and his boy Coyotito, were a normal Indian household. What they did non cognize was that a bantam pearl that was discovered by Kino would alter their lives everlastingly.

Kino is a hapless but mildly satisfied pearl fisherman. ( 28 ) A devoted hubby and male parent, his vocal is the Song of Family. ( 28 ) Before Kino found the Pearl of the World his whole life was his household. After detecting the pearl, without even recognizing it, his precedences shifted. Gradually, the Song of the Pearl merges with The Song of Family. ( 28 ) Kino sees the pearl as a opportunity to develop a better life for him and his household. He will get down to oppugn the establishments that have kept him crude: medical specialty, the church, the pearl industry, and the authorities. ( Davis 153 ) Kino sees the great pearl as supplying the chance to pay for a church

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nuptials, new apparels, and a rifle [ and an instruction for his boy. ] ( Gallic 128 ) All of these demands show that Kino is no longer singing The Song of Family in his caput. He is now more concerned with The Song of The Pearl. Kino looks down into the surface of his fabulous pearl and signifiers misty, unsubstantial dreams that will ne’er come true. ( Bloom 29 ) The word spread around town about Kino s pearl, and the people of La Paz become covetous. All of a sudden people who ne’er had anything to make with Kino, wanted to cognize everything about him. When Kino [ found ] his great pearl, the being of the town splash [ red ] to life, and an involvement develop [ erectile dysfunction ] in Kino. ( 29 ) The pearl was non ever a good thing for Kino and his household. It turns out to be more bad than good. The pearl could convey the household everything that it could of all time desire, but it besides placed a sense of danger among their family. The [ pearl trader ] belittled the gem believing [ he would ] acquire it for small net income. (

Swisher 95 ) As efforts made foremost to rip off him of his wealth and subsequently to steal his pearl, The Song of The Pearl became a Song of Evil, as Kino fought to salvage himself, his household, and his new found wealth. ( Bloom 30 ) In order for Kino to salvage these three things he had to garner his married woman and boy and go forth his hometown of La Paz due to the force that was being directed towards him. Before he knew

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it, Kino had lost his boat that had been base on ballss down from coevals to coevals, his canoe, and finally his boy. Kino is now even poorer than he was before he found the Pearl of the World. Therefore, this bantam small object has caused him more hurting and agony than felicity.

Steinbeck is a maestro in providing realistic item. ( Davis 153 ) It is astonishing how he took this one object and set so much significance into it. His description of the natural universe is so handled as to duplicate and soprano responsibility in enrichment of both symbolism and fable. ( 153 ) To add world to a fable, Steinbeck had to decrease pragmatism. An illustration of this would be the beginning of chapter three. Steinbeck is really descriptive in stating that, a town has a nervous system, and a caput, and shoulders and pess. Steinbeck besides adds a particular touch in about every chapter. An illustration would be that of the great air current transitions in chapter five. ( Swisher 97 )

The air current screamed over the Gulf and turned the H2O

white, and the Rhizophora mangles plunged like frightened

cowss, and a all right sandy dust arose from the land

and hung in a sultry cloud over the sea. The air current

drove off the clouds and skimmed the sky clean and

drifted the sand of the state like snow.

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Another illustration would be the pearl-buyer with his dexterity of manus coin-manipulation mid-way through chapter four. ( 97 )

He rolled a coin back and Forth over his brass knuckss

and made it look and vanish, [ he ] made it whirl

and twinkle. The coin winked into sight and [ merely ]

as rapidly winked out of sight, and the adult male did non

even watch his ain public presentation. The fingers did it

all, automatically, [ and ] exactly, while the adult male

hummed to himself and peered out the door.

These transitions operate symbolically every bit good as realistically, and some of them even allegorically. ( 97 ) Besides throughout the novel, carnal imagination dominates the human scene. ( 97 ) Steinbeck combines symbols, fable and realistic item to acquire his point across. One thing that ever remains at the terminal of an allegorical journey is that the traveller, in this instance Kino, is still alive. ( Davis 158 )

In The Pearl, all the characters except Kino s married woman, [ Juana ] , are afflicted with an irrational lecherousness for stuff wealth. ( Gallic 153 ) All anyone cared about was the pearl and what it could convey them. No 1 cared about the effects it could convey, and on one imagined the hurting it would finally do its proprietor. When Kino at last develops the

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consciousness that allows him to abandon his mercenary dream, he at the same time develops the scruples that allows him to throw back into the sea the great pearl that so excites the evil forces in work forces s natures. ( 153 ) Although his journey was full of grief and sorrow, Kino developed much strength throughout the narrative. Kino [ was ] non defeated. ( Davis 160 ) [ Kino ] has proved that he can non be cheated or

destroyed. ( 160 ) The existent victory is the highs to which he has risen instead than the deepnesss to which he has slipped back. ( 160 ) That is the huge cognition that he has gained approximately good and evil.

Although The Pearl is a short novel, Steinbeck still managed to acquire a point across. The chief character, Kino, had to travel on a ocean trip. His flight may be seen as a bipartite journey. ( Davis 158 ) It is half religious & # 8211 ; the path to redemption of the psyche & # 8211 ; and half physical & # 8211 ; the manner to freedom from bodily wants. ( 158 ) The lone ground Kino wanted the pearl that he found was to fulfill his household s demands. He thought that because of the pearl everything would be great, but it did non turn out that manner after all. When the novel eventually ended Kino had less than he did when he started. Therefore, it is likely true when Steinbeck states that, Humans are ne’er satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want

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something more. ( Bloom 28 ) The cognition that Kino gained is the tool that he needs to assist him on the concluding journey, the ineluctable journey that every adult male must take. ( Davis 160 )