by John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck's 'The Pearl' is really a long short story. Written as a parable in 1947, Steinbeck stated, "perhaps everyone takes his own meaning from it and reads his own life into it." As far as me taking meaning from it, not so much. I'm just going to tell you the story, so if you have this book on your reading queue beware * spoilers ahead *.
The book starts with Kino the fisherman, Juana his emotionally strong supportive wife, and their baby Coyotito. One morning Kino, who is big on listening to the music of his life in his head (he's the type of guy with a song in his heart) finds a scorpion biting his baby. Wife and hubby then go to the local doctor for fear that Coyotito will die from the bite. Of course their whole town is abuzz about the situation. The doctor refuses to see the family because he knows they do not have money so has his servant tell them he isn't at home - they know this is a big fat lie.
Kino has no choice, being a simple man of conviction, he loads the family into the family canoe and goes searching for pearls. Oh, you already have guessed, he finds not just a pearl, but the pearl of the world. Everyone in their little town is ooohing and awwwing over the find and dreaming of what they would do with such a thing. For instance, the sleazy doctor could go back to Paris and sleep around. The local priest could redecorate the church. The poor could eat and so forth. In other words, immediately after finding the pearl, Kino and Juana's problems really start. Of course, their baby's scorpion sting is healing itself but that doesn't mean the evil doctor won't try and poison the child in order to barter for the precious pearl.
So, you may be asking, what does Kino get out of this? Well for starters, he and Juana can now marry in the church. They can also get their son baptized as well - these two things delight the priest who makes a special appearance in their home on the pretense of visiting the sick baby, and no, he didn't know anything about the pearl until he arrived (goodness gracious). Kino also has wild dreams of somehow sending his son to school so he can learn to read. As for Kino himself, he wants a rifle.
That's it, no swimming pools or movie stars; just a gun, a marriage and baptism certificate, and an education for his son. Thus you know Kino's going to have to suffer for his hubris.
And suffer he does. Someone pokes a hole into his canoe, the same one that had been passed down through his family for generations. When he does try to sell the pearl he recognizes that all the local pearl merchants are interested in swindling him - the man may be simple but he knows a ruse when he hears one. People in dark clothing try to kill him and his humble hut is burned down.
All of this prompts his wife into thinking that the pearl is evil and must be destroyed. Kino then beats Juana, thus he is no longer the nice guy we all thought he was.
Steinbeck describes Kino as posessed by an animal nature. He plots to leave the small town with his wife and baby in order to sell the pearl in a city. As they travel by night and rest by day, they discover they are being tracked on the major road leading to the nearest city, thus they take to the mountains to ambush the trackers - one of which owns a rifle. The little family hides out in a cave and Kino spies the three men resting nearby. He kills all of them in a Rambo sort of rage, only to discover after the fact that when one of the shots escaped the rifle it hit his infant son in the head.
Husband and wife head back to town and throw the pearl in the ocean. End of story.
Although I cannot say this was a fun read, it did take me into some directions I wasn't expecting. John Steinbeck is a writing legend for good cause, his writing was compelling even if the story was a bit, well, in the 'if I didn't have bad luck I'd have no luck at all' vein. You have to give Steinbeck snaps for taking on institutions that are supposed to support the poor but in reality tend to support the poor remaining poor.
I don't regret reading 'The Pearl' but it won't list up as one of my favorite Steinbeck novels. In my opinion, once he wrote 'East of Eden' he could have just closed up shop and told everyone, "I'm done, I've created the perfect American novel, now I'm going fishing."
Overall, if you are looking to dip your toe into John Steinbeck, but don't want to jump into one of his larger works until you know if his writing is for you, then check out 'The Pearl'.
Oh, and if you are a student who has been assigned a paper on American classic books; 'The Pearl' is only ninety pages.
And before I sign out, he kept the rifle.
Reviewed by Lisa Westerfield © 2009
NOTE: THIS REVIEW WAS SUBMITTED TO ANOTHER FORUM BY MY DAUGHTER. SHE'S GIVEN ME PERMISSION TO POST IT HERE ALSO.The book starts with Kino the fisherman, Juana his emotionally strong supportive wife, and their baby Coyotito. One morning Kino, who is big on listening to the music of his life in his head (he's the type of guy with a song in his heart) finds a scorpion biting his baby. Wife and hubby then go to the local doctor for fear that Coyotito will die from the bite. Of course their whole town is abuzz about the situation. The doctor refuses to see the family because he knows they do not have money so has his servant tell them he isn't at home - they know this is a big fat lie.
Kino has no choice, being a simple man of conviction, he loads the family into the family canoe and goes searching for pearls. Oh, you already have guessed, he finds not just a pearl, but the pearl of the world. Everyone in their little town is ooohing and awwwing over the find and dreaming of what they would do with such a thing. For instance, the sleazy doctor could go back to Paris and sleep around. The local priest could redecorate the church. The poor could eat and so forth. In other words, immediately after finding the pearl, Kino and Juana's problems really start. Of course, their baby's scorpion sting is healing itself but that doesn't mean the evil doctor won't try and poison the child in order to barter for the precious pearl.
So, you may be asking, what does Kino get out of this? Well for starters, he and Juana can now marry in the church. They can also get their son baptized as well - these two things delight the priest who makes a special appearance in their home on the pretense of visiting the sick baby, and no, he didn't know anything about the pearl until he arrived (goodness gracious). Kino also has wild dreams of somehow sending his son to school so he can learn to read. As for Kino himself, he wants a rifle.
That's it, no swimming pools or movie stars; just a gun, a marriage and baptism certificate, and an education for his son. Thus you know Kino's going to have to suffer for his hubris.
And suffer he does. Someone pokes a hole into his canoe, the same one that had been passed down through his family for generations. When he does try to sell the pearl he recognizes that all the local pearl merchants are interested in swindling him - the man may be simple but he knows a ruse when he hears one. People in dark clothing try to kill him and his humble hut is burned down.
All of this prompts his wife into thinking that the pearl is evil and must be destroyed. Kino then beats Juana, thus he is no longer the nice guy we all thought he was.
Steinbeck describes Kino as posessed by an animal nature. He plots to leave the small town with his wife and baby in order to sell the pearl in a city. As they travel by night and rest by day, they discover they are being tracked on the major road leading to the nearest city, thus they take to the mountains to ambush the trackers - one of which owns a rifle. The little family hides out in a cave and Kino spies the three men resting nearby. He kills all of them in a Rambo sort of rage, only to discover after the fact that when one of the shots escaped the rifle it hit his infant son in the head.
Husband and wife head back to town and throw the pearl in the ocean. End of story.
Although I cannot say this was a fun read, it did take me into some directions I wasn't expecting. John Steinbeck is a writing legend for good cause, his writing was compelling even if the story was a bit, well, in the 'if I didn't have bad luck I'd have no luck at all' vein. You have to give Steinbeck snaps for taking on institutions that are supposed to support the poor but in reality tend to support the poor remaining poor.
I don't regret reading 'The Pearl' but it won't list up as one of my favorite Steinbeck novels. In my opinion, once he wrote 'East of Eden' he could have just closed up shop and told everyone, "I'm done, I've created the perfect American novel, now I'm going fishing."
Overall, if you are looking to dip your toe into John Steinbeck, but don't want to jump into one of his larger works until you know if his writing is for you, then check out 'The Pearl'.
Oh, and if you are a student who has been assigned a paper on American classic books; 'The Pearl' is only ninety pages.
And before I sign out, he kept the rifle.
Reviewed by Lisa Westerfield © 2009
Ken West
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