In the novel the “Pearl” by John Steinbeck I saw the theme that materialism and greed left unchecked, can lead to immoral behavior, such as violence. This novel is about a Mexican family who is very poor. They live in a hut on the coast next to the Ocean. The father’s name is Kino, the mother's name is Juana and the baby’s name is Coyotito. Coyotito got stung by a scorpion so they had to take him to the local doctor, but there was a problem. The doctor would not treat the baby because Kino didn't have any money to pay the doctor. Kino had to find a way to pay the doctor so his son could say alive. Kino found a huge, shiny pearl. When Kino found the pearl everyone wanted to be his friend but really they just wanted the pearl. This type of…show more content… He would not see Coyotito when he was sick from the scorpion sting before Kino found the pearl, but when kino found the pearl the doctor wanted to help. The doctor is very greedy and does not care about his patients, he just wants the money. When he found out that the baby had healed he posined the baby so he could still get paid. “ I will give him something to try to make the poison aside”(31). Knowing he gave the baby something to make it sick he later said, “The posin has gone inward and it will strike soon. Come Look! He held the eyelid down, see-it it is blue”(32). After he comes back, knowing he posined the baby, he took the posin awayand says, “When do you think you can pay the bill?”(35) All the doctor wants is the pearl and that’s why he asks for the bill. He was rude to Kino and his family before they had the pearl. The doctor is very greedy and he does not care about anyone, all he wants is…show more content… He killed several people over the pearl and he beat his wife when Juana tried to throw the pearl back into the ocean. Juana said “ She knew there was murder in him, and it was alright”(59). Juana knew that the pearl was evil from the start and she knew that the pearl had changed Kino. Kino cares so much about this pearl that he said, “The pearl has become my soul. If I give it up I shall lose my soul”(67). Kino is willing to die for this pearl when he said, “No one shall take our good fortune from us. I am a man” (67). But Juana says later, “a man can be killed”(67). Juana knows that this pearl has changed Kino and she knows that the pearl is evil. This shows how greed can change someone.
In this novel there were several examples of how greed and materialism left unchecked can lead to immoral behaivor, such as violence. The doctor is very greedy and doesn’t care about people, all he wants is money. The towns people are very greedy. They destroyed Kino’s life and his family. He also would not give up the pearl, his son died because of the pearl. Kino was very greedy an violent towards his wife because of the pearl. In my opinion greed is very powerful and can change people. It changed almost everyone in this novel. Kino’s life was destroyed becasue of
