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"

Malcolm X: Unfair Racism.

Malcolm Little was born into a period of great struggles for black people, in 1925, just a few years before the great depression. Malcolm had 7 siblings, and a caring mother and father. The family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1926 and to Lansing Michigan shortly after. In 1931 Malcolm’s father was found dead after he got run over by a street car. After, Louise Little, Malcolm’s mother had a nervous breakdown and was later considered legally insane. Malcolm and his siblings went to separate foster homes. Malcolm graduated from junior high but decided not to continue his education after a teacher told him that he would never get the job he wanted, a lawyer, because of his race. Malcolm moved to New York in 1943. He found work as a shoeshine in Harlem. However, after a while in Harlem he turned to illegal activities such as drug dealing, gambling, and robbery. In 1946 Malcolm was arrested for stealing a watch. In court, he pleaded guilty and was sent to Charlestown State Prison. He found pleasure in reading books while in prison. In 1948 Malcolm was transferred to an experimental prison in Massachusetts. In 1952 he received parole and was released from prison. In 1952 he joined the nation of Islam. Soon after, he changed his surname to "X". Until Malcolm left the organization in 1964, Malcolm always preached the whites as "devils". in 1958 Malcolm got married to Betty X and later had 6 daughters. He founded his own organization called Muslim Mosque Inc. He completed his religious quest by making a pilgrimage to Mecca. Malcolm X was assonated on February 21, 1965 while he was delivering a speech in Manhattans Audubon Ballroom. His funeral was held on February 27, 1965.
Imagine being told that you would never become what you want, because of your skin color. Does it seem fair that fair skinned people have better chances of getting good jobs than black skinned people? I believe that racism is a major flaw in our society, especially a few decades ago, during Malcolm's time.
Think of all of the black people that were, and still are, being prosecuted just because of their skin color. I believe that black people are just as qualified, if not even more qualified, to do everything that white people do. Why are white people any "better" than black people? I believe that Malcolm suffered from a lot of racial judgment, from when he was one of the poorest kids in school, because his mother did not get paid as much as the other women, to when he got shot, just because he was giving a speech. I believe that he had a right to hate white people, he did not do any serious crime, he did not kill anyone, yet him and his followers were prosecuted, and even killed by white gangs and white individuals.
Towards the end of the book, Malcolm would be prepared for an attack at any minute. He kept a loaded gun in his possession. He even said To come right down to it, if I take the kind of things which I believe, then add to that the kind of temperament that I have, plus the one hundred per cent dedication I have to whatever I believe in- these are ingredients which make it just impossible for me to die of old age --The autobiography of Malcolm X. I believe that is not fair for any man to face because of his color of skin and his beliefs. Malcolm knew that he would be killed because of his black skin and his dedication to his beliefs, yet he did not give up. I think that level of determination proves that ones skin color does not make him who he is, he chooses who he wants to be. Skin color is simply what it seems, a color, not a bragging right.
You'll find very few people who feel like I feel that live long enough to get old. I'll tell you what I mean and why I say that. When I say by any means necessary, I mean it with all my heart, and my mind and my soul. But a black man should give his life to be free, but he should also be willing to take the life of those who want to take his. It's reciprocal. And when you think like that you don't live long... I believe that ones skin color goes only skin deep, it doesn't make you any better, I believe that what matters is how understanding and determined one is, and if he has great qualities, he will become a great man, white or black.