The Pearl

The book, The Pearl, is about Kino, Juana, and their baby son Coyotito. This family of three lives in a village made of stick-huts, where songs portray the feelings of life. The village in which Kino's family lives in seems poor and primitive, and many people don't have money.
One day, as Coyotito was in his hanging bed, he got bit by a poisonous scorpion, Juana did her best to suck the fresh poison out of Coyotito's wound, but some poison still remained. Quickly, the word of Coyotito's injury spread throughout the town. Kino decided to take Coyotito to the upper-class doctor. Unfortunately, Kino did not have enough money to pay the doctor, and was rejected for treatment. Coyotito's scorpion wound caused great swelling, and Kino and Juana decided that they would find pearls to pay for the doctor to save Coyotito's life. Kino took out his canoe to find pearls to pay the doctor. He found a giant oyster that looked as if it might hold a big pearl. Kino held back his excitement, as it was thought that great desire lead to bad luck. Inside the big oyster was a huge pearl, bigger than any pearl Kino or Juana had ever seen. It was the "Pearl of the World". Kino decided that he would sell his huge pearl to become rich in order to marry Juana, get a riffle, and send Coyotito to a good school. The mean doctor heard of Kino's extraordinary pearl and decided to heal Coyotito since he knew that he would now get plenty of money in return. Coyotito was healed. The "Song of Family" echoed through Kino's ears. That night, Kino was attacked by someone who was after The Pearl. He was mildly injured. The next day Kino set out, procession behind him, to sell his Pearl of the World. The pearl buyers all said that his huge pearl was worth very little money, only 1500 pesos, at most. Kino did not accept their low offers for the pearl and decided that he would head elsewhere to get a better offer. That night, Kino was attacked again. Juana told Kino to throw the pearl back because it was bringing bad luck. Kino refused and went back to sleep. Later that night Juana tried to sneak out and destroy the pearl but Kino found her and kicked her, he did not want to lose the pearl. Kino was attacked again but this time he killed his attacker. Kino found that his canoe was destroyed and that his house was set on fire by the mysterious people who were after Kino and the pearl. Kino, Juana, and Coyotito hid in Kino's brother's house the next day until they could escape during the night. The night they set out, the wind was blowing strong. It would cover their footprints well so that the trackers wouldn't find them. When morning broke, Kino and his family were hidden in the bushes, out of sight. They weren't safe for long, in the daytime, they were almost spotted by the trackers. They quickly fled for the mountains where it would be harder for the trackers to follow. They hid in a covered cave. Eventually the trackers came to the ricer by their hideout and Kino went to kill them. He crept up on them, knife at the ready. He jumped out and killed all three trackers, but not before they had killed his one and only child, his baby Coyotito.

Reflection

"You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone"
I think that The Pearl is a tale of greed overtaking ones life. In the book Kino and his family started out happy. Poor, but happy. When Coyotito got bit by the scorpion, Kino and Juana would do anything to save his life, they loved him more than riches, more than pearls. When Kino found the Pearl of the World, he almost instantly became attached to it. He started to dream of what his life could be like with all the riches he could buy with the pearl. Greed overclouded his original intent. Coyotito was saved, but Kino had much bigger plans of what he would do with the pearl.
"We will be married in a church" In the pearl he saw how they were dressed -Juana in a shawl stiff with newness and a new skirt,...and she wore shoes...He himself was dressed in new white clothes, and he carried a new hat...Coyotito wore a blue sailor suit from the United States and a little yachting cap.
His mind began, then, to wander off to other things he might do with the pearl. He wanted a rifle and he wanted his son to go to a nice school where he would learn. He wanted to be blessed with all the amenities of the upper-class life.
The pearl became his "second son" in a sense; he protected it with his life, he did not let it get damaged, and he wouldn't give it up for anything less than the kings ransom. Kino got nearly killed multiple times, but he wouldn't give up his pearl. Coyotito took a backseat to his new priceless treasure, his pearl.
When the offers the pearl buyers gave was not up to the expectations of Kino, he decided that he would search far and wide in order to find an offer that would match the value that his huge pearl must be worth. Even when Kino and his family fled from the city, Kino would not give up his pearl, not for anything.
In the end, Coyotito was killed while Kino was busy protecting his precious pearl. He had lost his only son because his eyes were clouded with greed for money and riches. And even after all that trouble, Kino had realized what he had done and he threw the cursed pearl back to the ocean where it belonged. Greed had ruined his once-happy peasant life, while he was searching for riches and fortune, his vision clouded by greed.

"You don't know what you've got 'till it's gone"