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By John Steinbeck
I recently re-read The Pearl and remembered why I enjoyed the book. Now that I’m older — quite a bit older — I realized what a phenomenal lesson there was written into such a small book.

The pearl depicts two forces that shape human life — a world where humans shape their own destinies and a world where forces often beyond our control can occur, completely changing the course of our lives.

In the beginning of the tale, Kino, his wife Juana, and their son Coyotito are a happy family. However, one day Kino, a poor diver, finds a very large pearl. As we continue to read, we see what greed can do. A small happy family becomes suspicious and frightened of everyone around them, destroying their happiness and peace. We see Kino transform from a happy, contented man to a criminal, showing us how ambition and greed can destroy an innocent person. The pearl becomes a symbol of human destruction versus a symbol of hope. Kino’s greed leads him to behave violently towards his wife, and it also leads to his son’s death. Steinbeck, in the end, directs the story in the right direction. A quick but insightful read. Enjoy!