The Pearl by John Steinbeck

Source: http://www.penguin.com.au/

When baby Coyotito gets stung by a scorpion one day, his parents, Kino and Juana, rush him to the doctor. However, as they are poor and cannot afford to pay, they are turned away. It seems like their prayers have been answered when later in the day, Kino finds a large pearl. However, he hits many obstacles while trying to sell the pearl at a justified price. In his attempt to safeguard his pearl, Kino accidentally kills someone and consequently, he and his family gets hunted down by the authorities. Eventually, Coyotito gets killed and Kino and Juana return to their lives of rural poverty.

This book explores the issue of poverty. Before Coyotito gets stung by the scorpion, Kino and his family lead a simple but contented life. Their problems only start to manifest due to their inability to pay the doctor to treat Coyotito. Things seem hopeful when Kino finds the pearl. However, he soon discovers that he is still unable to break out of poverty after the pearl buyers conspire to offer a low value for Kino's pearl. His desire to provide a better life for his family eventually leads to tragedy and the loss of innocence.

Through this story, young adults can get some exposure to colonialisation as a new concept and the issues it causes. We see how under colonial domination and oppression, the native people are treated very unjustly. Even though Kino finds a large pearl of high value, by being a Mexican native, he is still unable to save his family from a tragic fate. The doctor is also shown treating Kino in a very condescending manner and his conviction of his own cultural superiority is clearly demonstrated. As the story progresses, we see that many tragic incidents are caused by the powerful trying to take advantage of the weak.

The Pearl has a sad and emotional ending but is a very powerful book. Young adults will get to witness the familial love of Kino and his family and how greed and power can destroy a peaceful, simple life.