Description
The Short Novels of John Steinbeck
Author: John Steinbeck
Hardcover, in very good condition. 1947 - first edition.
The Pearl is a novella by American author John Steinbeck that tells a moral fable about wealth, ambition, and destruction. Set in a poor coastal village in Mexico, it follows a pearl diver, Kino, who lives a simple life with his wife Juana and their infant son Coyotito.
When Coyotito is stung by a scorpion and the family cannot afford medical treatment, Kino dives for pearls and discovers an enormous, perfectly valuable pearl—soon called “the Pearl of the World.” At first, the pearl seems to offer hope: it represents education, security, and a better future. However, it quickly attracts greed and violence from outsiders, including dishonest pearl buyers, thieves, and even threats within Kino’s community.
As Kino becomes increasingly obsessed with what the pearl might bring, his life unravels. The promise of prosperity turns into paranoia and tragedy, leading to loss, destruction, and the shattering of his original hopes for his family.
Through this stark parable, Steinbeck explores how sudden wealth can corrupt, how poverty limits choice, and how ambition shaped by desperation can lead to irreversible consequences.
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