English: Book Report:
                     The Pearl by John Steinbeck
                                                                                             July 03, 1998

                     Click Here For Research Papers Online! MATERIAL SOCIETY, MATERIAL
                     THOUGHTS Ever since Midas' lust for gold, it appears to be that man has
                     acquired a greed and appetite for wealth. Juana, the Priest, and the doctor
                     have all undergone a change due to money. They are all affected by their
                     hunger for wealth and inturn are the base for their own destruction, and the
                     destruction of society. Steinbeck's "The Pearl" is a study of man's self
                     destruction through greed. Juana, the faithful wife of Kino, a paltry peasant
                     man, had lived a spiritual life for what had seemed like as long as she could
                     remember. When her son Coyito fell ill from the bite of a scorpion, she eagerly
                     turned towards the spiritual aspects of life. Beginning to pray for her son's
                     endangered life. The doctor who had resided in the upper-class section of the
                     town, refused to assistant the child, turning them away when they arrived at
                     the door. Lastly they turned to the sea to seek their fortune. When Juana set
                     sight on the "Pearl of The World." she felt as though all her prayers had been
                     answered, if she could have foreseen the future what she would have seen
                     would have been a mirror image of her reality. Juana's husband was caught in
                     a twisted realm of mirrors, and they were all shattering one by one. In the night
                     he heard a "sound so soft that it might have been simply a thought..." and
                     quickly attacked the trespasser. This is where the problems for Juana and her
                     family began. The fear that had mounted in Kino's body had taken control
                     over his actions. Soon even Juana who had always had faith in her husband,
                     had doubted him greatly. "It will destroy us all" she yelled as her attempt to rid
                     the family of the pearl had failed. Kino had not listened however, and soon
                     Juana began to lose her spiritual side and for a long time she had forgotten
                     her prayers that had at once meant so much to her. She had tried to help Kino
                     before to much trouble had aroused, only to discover that she was not
                     competent enough to help. A hypocrathic oath is said before each medical
                     student is granted a Doctors degree. In the oath they swear to aid the ill, and
                     cure the injured. In the village of La Paz there lived a doctor who had earned
                     his wealth by helping those that were ill and could afford his services. Not
                     once in his long career would he have dared refuse to aid a wealthy lawyer or
                     noblemen. However when Kino and the group of money hungry peasants
                     arrived at his door with a poisoned child he had refused them entry saying
                     "Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for `little Indians'? I am a
                     doctor, not a veterinary." for the doctor had known that the peasants hadn't
                     any money. He had been to Paris and had enjoyed the splendors of the world,
                     and therefore he wouldn't be seen dealing with the less fortunate as he knew
                     that the less fortunate would surely always be just that-less fortunate. However
                     it seemed that he had been stereotypical of the less fortunate, as he soon
                     discovered when hearing of a great pearl discovered by the peasants who
                     had knocked upon his door earlier that day. A hunger for wealth was what
                     pushed him to visit the peasants house and aid their destitute son. However
                     he had already ended Coyito's life without knowing he'd done so, for if he had
                     administered aid to Coyito when they were first at the doctors door, Kino would
                     have no reason to seek his fortune in the ocean, and would not be led down
                     the road to hardships. One might think that a doctor, one who has the image
                     of being passive, and caring should not stoop to such a level. When one is
                     down on their luck, chances are they will turn to superstition in hope to acquire
                     what it is that they would want to achieve. A good example of this would be a
                     good luck charm such as a rabbit's foot. In La Paz the peasants were
                     uneducated and probably had never heard of a superstition. The peasants
                     only reliability, there only scapegoat was God. God had always been their to
                     aid them in there times of need. The first reaction of Juana when seeing the
                     scorpion is a good example of spirituality, rather than attempt to kill the
                     scorpion she began to pray to God for safety. In La Paz the only form of God
                     that the peasants knew was that of the Priest of the church. To the peasants
                     the Priest was so God-like that they were unable to see any faults in his
                     actions. However the reader is able to determine that the Priest is abusing his
                     position in society. In order to receive the sacraments the person requesting
                     the sacrament must "donate" a small amount of money to the church. Whether
                     this is correct or not is a matter of opinion. The church definetly needs funding
                     but the peasants are unable to donate these funds, but, does that make them
                     unable to receive the sacraments should they want to acquire them? The
                     Priest is so set on achieving money and social status that he puts aside the
                     real reason one becomes a Priest- to help, and teach the word of God. In
                     "The Pearl", Steinbeck expresses the fact that man's manifestation for wealth
                     and property leads to the self destruction of man, both mentally, and
                     physically. The Priest of La Paz, The doctor, and Juana were all affected by
                     the affects of greed. Whether they are striving for wealth or are in the path of
                     those that are, they are all equally affected. The story of Midas lives on as a
                     caution to those who crave the warmth and comfort of money. Beckoning to
                     those who struggle to achieve wealth, and hoping that they will respond, and
                     possibly not put wealth on the top shelf of life.
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