Analysis Of The Pearl By John Steinbeck

It is man 's nature to want for better than what they have and Nature facilitates the strife carried with this hunger to advance. Over the course of "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck, a man by the name of Kino and his wife, Juana, struggle against corruption of themselves and face the innate evil of mankind, brought on by greed and fear, after Nature offers them a pearl. This pearl is very valuable and it is viewed as the solution to the problems of the family and their people however, it makes them into targets. Multiple robbery and murder attempt are made through the story, culminating in the brutal death of their only son and the sacrifice of the pearl upon the realization of all that it has done to bring Kino and Juana to ruin. "The Pearl"

Everything that has been and will ever be created is primarily the fruit of Nature 's resources, utilized by man in order to advance our race. All that is done is only possible because Nature allowed it to be done. Nature has surrendered part of itself so that man may thrive; its trees and minerals being transformed into something new, our buildings and transportation coming from found materials. Some are to be enjoyed, for there is always one in particular that is "the greatest pearl in the world," regardless of what the item actually is. A perfect specimen is claimed by humanity once

It is, above all, neutral, towards mankind, the animals who find their homes in it, and any location that it can be found. Homes have been reclaimed by decay and new growth, Cities have been brought to their knees from natural disasters. Entire species have been eradicated. Everything is affected because Nature will provide and destroy all, without prejudice. It can be seen how uncaring Nature is, how it yields to none. Man tries to influence it but nothing can be done to stop it. Kino himself, while representing mankind, also reflects Nature, as he "watched with the detachment of God, while a dusty ant frantically tried to escape the sand trap an ant lion had dug for him" in the same way that Nature does to its creations. At the same time, humanity is resilient, like the ants in a similar scene later in the book, with Nature being the one to "…put his foot in their path" while humanity "[climbs] over his instep and continued on its way." Nature 's ultimate purpose, however, is not to simply interfere with everything. It works to keep the balance between mankind and the universe. Neither is allowed too much power over the other, not yet. Nature will through obstacles and adversaries at all in its reach. It is like "the wind [blowing] fierce and strong, and it [pelts] them with bits of sticks, sand, and little rocks," except that the obstacles are far more damaging to those that they affect than the small