Characters And Themes In The Pearl

Many books atomic morsel 18 write in order to tell a baloney. However, few books be written which cause the aimer to look at issues that atomic number 18 deeper than the plot. An authors ability to engage the reader in a refreshful is usually what creates classic literature. John Steinbeck is cognize as wholeness of those authors and his novel, The drib, is noned as a classic. The astragal is a novel in which a pathetic astragal diver named kino gum finds a os the size of one that has never been imagined. His experiences with his wealth argon the master(prenominal) scheme. Characters and themes atomic number 18 plentiful in The garner and are widely discussed among critics. For that reason, this paper impart compare, contrast, and assess the criticisms on the characters and themes in The Pearl. In The Pearl, the characters are discussed among critics in a sympathetic opinion. The characters in The Pearl are produced to portray popular types of ke ttle of fish (Shu universe 1896). This means that Steinbeck do the characters to start break characteristics of concourse in trueity. Millichap states Steinbecks characters in The Pearl are factual nation in a true(a) world¦ Also, Millichap describes them as an intention lesson family, with the same aspirations as an ordinary family (2527). Furthermore, Riley manipulates gum kino as having a talis humanic kin, created to be an average man, against evil. kino gum goes finished the stages as umteen a(prenominal) good deal do in real life, man attaching himself to an object to satisfy a need, man infusing his aliveness into his possession, and man as the talisman for seeing his own relationship as a whole (407). Thus, these critics transgress up similar opinions expeditious the characters in The Pearl in that they are made to re bribe real the great unwashed.         The Pearl contains evidence that scoop supports Shuman and Millich aps criticisms on the characters in the nove! l. more(prenominal) specifically, their observations on the fact that Steinbeck created the characters to represent people of the real world. Characters in the novel have the same wants, needs, and muckle hails as people in reality. For physical exertion, gum kino, a poor exempt fall diver, wants nonhing more than to despatch his son Coyotito to school. One of his awayset printing reactions by and by finding the beading that would irritate him a enough man is imagining his son at school. ¦he apothegm Coyotito sitting at a bitty desk in a school¦Coyotito was writing on a big pluck of paper (25). Like many people today, one of the well-nigh important things to kino is giving his barbarian an education. Often time one hears of a story where a family from the ghetto be pause to sign uphers rich. Then with their newfound wealth cook their children the education that they erst could non afford. That is one way Steinbeck permited his characters to rep resent universal types. another(prenominal) example of the characters representation of real people seat be seen finished kino gums experience with newfound wealth. gum kino and his family live a childlike life until one day Kino finds a tusk that is priceless. Instead of happiness, Kino is sur routineed by corruptness. everyplace Kino turns someone is trying to profit from the drib. When Kino went in to the driblet dealers office he expected then to exsert a handsome sum for his pearl. Instead, the dealers arranged their speeches before Kino arrived. This is not a pearl-it is a monstrosity¦ come apart pearls are made of paste¦ (51). This shows that the characters have the same troubles as anyone else. cash is a known source of evil that Kino deals with corresponding many people in actuality. another(prenominal) example of the characters universal traits drive out be looked at by dint of Juana. Juana is Kinos wife and buzz off to Coyotito. A typical Indi an woman, Juanas principal(prenominal) duties are to! assistant Kino and care for Coyotito. This can be seen after a rich scorpion stings Coyotito. She found the puncture with redness¦she put her lips down all over the puncture and sucked hard (6). With this in mind, one can see that Juana is bid most mothers. Warm, loving, and doing whatever possible to go on her young safe. Juana was not created as an exceptional woman nor was she created as an awful mother. She was created to represent those characteristics that are in every woman, as a universal type. Consequently, Shuman and Millichap are accurate in their criticisms on the characters in The Pearl.         The novel also contains many themes that are discussed among critics with contrasting opinions on which is the important theme. According to Millichap, the primary(prenominal) theme in The Pearl is the evil that is produced by wealth. Kino thought the pearl a key to easy living¦ However, the critic goes on to state how Kinos life turned for the worst due to his riches (2527). An electronic critic believes the main theme of the novel is proportionality in social status. More specifically the oppressiveness of the Indians¦ (Gunn). Conversely, Shuman sees the main theme as dreams. In particular, the human dream. Additionally, Shuman states that the message round the human dream is that a persons dignity is derived from effort and not material possessions (1896). Hence, the main theme of The Pearl is an argumentative commensurate among critics.         Gunns opinion on the main theme of The Pearl is surpass supported by the events in the novel. Indeed, social difference is the main theme of the novel and through the subjugation of the Indians this can be made clear. One example is the experience that Kino and his family have with a Spanish doctor from the city. Kinos son Coyotito is lying in his crib when Kino spots a scorpion dangling higher(prenominal) up the childs head on the m obile. Before Kino could stamp down the poisonous i! nsect it falls into the crib and plunges its tail into the elevate of the infant. acute very well that a doctor would not come to an impecunious familys stem, Juana and Kino take the baby to the home of the doctor. As they approach the gate the doctor who is informed of the view kale them. He answers, Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for ?little Indians? I am a doctor, not a veterinary (11). Clearly, the doctor does not take the baby due to his racial background. His sarcastic gossip intimately being a veterinarian ultimately signifies that these people are animals in his eyes. Also, the fact that the doctor noticed that Kino was Indian before he asked how they would pay shows the stereotype that the rich had about Indians.

This stereotype being Indians are always poor people. Another example of the oppression of Indians can be seen through the trackers. The trackers are the men sent out to steal the pearl from Kino. forever since Kino finds the pearl, people are out to get it. arrive at is an option to these trackers if it means attaining the pearl. Ironically, two of the triad trackers are Indians like Kino while the leader is a Spaniard. Sensing that the trackers are after him, Kino kills the three men, moreover Kinos son Coyotito is killed during the battle. ¦Kino had become as cold and noxious as sword¦he raised the gun and aimed by design and fired (87). This shows the oppression of the Indians when the Spanish turn Kinos own scat against him. Even though two trackers are of Indian heritage, they free go after Kino because of the influence of the rich. Influence of this reputation causes further oppress ion when Indians must resort to killing to each one ! other in order to survive. Another example is when the priest comes to visit with Kino and Juana once the word of the pearl spreads or so town. The priest tries to utility from the finding of the pearl by causing Kino to make donations. I hope thou wilting remember to give thanks, my son, to Him who has given thee this treasure (28). While the priest says this Kino had the numbers of evil in his mind, which denotes that something awful is just about him. This shows that the Catholic church building saw Indians as inferior. sightly like all the Spanish people, the Catholic Church is use to oppress the Indians. Oppression of Kino who is trying to break free of his social order is obvious in this event. Thus, Gunns criticism on the theme in The Pearl can be turn out by events in the novel.         In conclusion, the characters and themes in The Pearl are major literary elements that Steinbeck has used in making the story so loved by many. Kino and J uana can be looked at as accredited people with the same traits as people in reality. Their actions can be used to regard ones own experiences in life. Also, the themes in the novel explain many aspects of life. The social status, which is still present today, can be seen through a historical portrayal with the oppression of the Indians in the novel. These aspects give The Pearl the ability to allow each reader to read his own life into the story. deform Cited Gunn, Drewey Wayne. Pearl, The. Masterplots Complete on CD-ROM. CD ROM. Salem Press, 1996. Millichap, Joseph R. John Steinbeck. precise prospect of Long Fiction. Ed. outspoken N. Magill. Englewood Cliffs: Salem Press, 1983. Riley, Carolyn, and Phyllis, Carmel Mendelson, eds. Steinbeck, John. Contemporary literary Criticism. Volume 5. Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1976. Shuman, R. Baird. Steinbeck, John. Magills Survey of American Literature. Ed.         Frank N. Magill. Vol 6. current York: Salem Press, 1991. Steinbeck, John. ! The Pearl. New York: Penguin hold up USA, Inc., 1992. If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: OrderEssay.net

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