How Does Steinbeck Characterize Kino's Greed

Greediness in The Pearl In the book, The Pearl by John Steinbeck, Kino finds a pearl and becomes a rich man; however, his life changes for the worse. In the beginning he is happy and content; then, his son receives a stung by a scorpion. The doctor rejects to help them. Kino goes into the water searching for pearls and finds the pearl of the world. Many greedy people attempt to take the pearl, but Kino would not give the pearl away. Kino become violent and murders a man on the beach. Him and his family have to leave their village. Later on Kino and his family is pulled into a deadlock with the trackers. Kino succumbs to greed because he wants more, he’s aware of the pearl’s evil, yet he doesn’t throw the pearl away, and he becomes violent …show more content…
First, he wants more money from the pearl buyers. He receives 4 buyer’s opinions and prices but disagrees with all of them. The appraiser offered 1,000 pesos, two pearl buyers did not even want to make an offer, and the third buyer offered only 500 pesos. Kino said, “It is the pearl of the world” (50) and it is worth 50,000 pesos. Kino knows the value and is cheated. The pearl is a great pearl but the pearl buyers think it is fool’s gold and erratic. Another example, Kino was content with his life before the pearl, but still wants more. Kino and Juana have lived together acting like they were married; however, Kino wants to use his pearl to allow them to access marriage. Kino wanted to buy a new harpoon to replace his, and wanted a rifle “because why not, since he was do rich” (25); furthermore, “for it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want more” (25). Even though Kino already had a content life, yet he wants …show more content…
For example, whenever Kino looks at the pearl he sees the good that turned into evil. He looks in the pearl and sees Juana with her beaten face, he sees coyotito with the sting from the scorpion, and he sees the rifle with the man he murdered. “The music of the peal had become sinister in his ears, and it was interwoven with the music of evil” (71). The music of the pearl became evil when Kino realized what the pearl had brought to his family. In addition, he ignores the advice of throwing it away. Juana tried to dispose the pearl twice; in fact, even Juan Thomas told him that the pearl was the devil. “There is a devil in this pearl. You should have sold it and passed on the devil” (64). After losing him home, Juan Thomas told Kino that the pearl brought a cumbersome to his family evil. Kino is admonished by his family members that the pearl is evil, but he still ignores

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