Essay title: The Pearl

since Midas' lust for gold, it appears to be that man hasacquired 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 inturnare the base for their own destruction, and the destruction ofsociety. Steinbeck's "The Pearl" is a study of man's selfdestruction through greed. Juana, the faithful wife of Kino, apaltry peasant man, had lived a spiritual life for what hadseemed like as long as she could remember. When her sonCoyito fell ill from the bite of a scorpion, she eagerly turnedtowards the spiritual aspects of life. Beginning to pray for herson's endangered life. The doctor who had resided in theupper-class section of the town, refused to assistant thechild, turning them away when they arrived at the door.

Lastly they turned to the sea to seek their fortune. WhenJuana set sight on the "Pearl of The World." she felt asthough all her prayers had been answered, if she could haveforeseen the future what she would have seen would havebeen a mirror image of her reality. Juana's husband wascaught in a twisted realm of mirrors, and they were allshattering one by one. In the night he heard a "sound so softthat it might have been simply a thought.

.." and quicklyattacked the trespasser. This is where the problems forJuana and her family began. The fear that had mounted inKino's body had taken control over his actions. Soon evenJuana who had always had faith in her husband, haddoubted him greatly. "It will destroy us all" she yelled as herattempt to rid the family of the pearl had failed. Kino had notlistened however, and soon Juana began to lose her spiritualside and for a long time she had forgotten her prayers thathad at once meant so much to her.

She had tried to helpKino before to much trouble had aroused, only to discoverthat she was not competent enough to help. A hypocrathicoath is said before each medical student is granted aDoctors degree. In the oath they swear to aid the ill, andcure the injured.

In the village of La Paz there lived a doctorwho had earned his wealth by helping those that were ill andcould afford his services. Not once in his long career wouldhe have dared refuse to aid a wealthy lawyer or noblemen.However when Kino and the group of money hungrypeasants arrived at his door with a poisoned child he hadrefused them entry saying "Have I nothing better to do thancure insect bites for 'little Indians'? I am a doctor, not aveterinary.

" for the doctor had known that the peasantshadn't any money. He had been to Paris and had enjoyedthe splendors of the world, and therefore he wouldn't beseen dealing with the less fortunate as he knew that the lessfortunate would surely always be just that-less fortunate.However it seemed that he had been stereotypical of the lessfortunate, as he soon discovered when hearing of a greatpearl discovered by the peasants who had knocked.