Kino And Juana's Relationship In The Pearl, By John Steinbeck

In the beginning of John Steinbeck’s novel, “The Pearl”, the two main characters, Kino and Juana, who are also married, shared a very close relationship, in which both have respect for the other and adore one another wholeheartedly. The question is, whether their relationship will change throughout the course of the novel during their adventurous experiences that will occur, and if so, will it be for better or for worse. In the first chapter of “The Pearl”, Kino and Juana shared a stable and loving relationship, their son, Coyotito, was happy and healthy, and even though they owned close to almost nothing, they were still satisfied and grateful with what they had. Steinbeck describes their morning ritual saying, “When Kino had finished, Juana came back to the fire and ate her breakfast. They had spoken once, but there is no need for speech if it is a habit, anyway.” (Ch.1, p.4) This is an example of not just how much respect Juana had for her husband, but also how comfortable they were around each other; she knew exactly what he needed and wanted without him uttering a word to her. The author also mentioned, “She was looking at him as she was always looking at him when he awakened.” (Ch.1, p.1) This also emphasizes how much they trust each other and, again, how much Juana respects Kino. It wasn’t that Juana was afraid to get out of bed and wake Kino up by doing so; she just simply admired him and waited until he was awake to then get up and prepare breakfast.

Kino