What Does Steinbeck Represent Greed

In “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck, there are many different characters that represent greed, or lack of greed. Kino was always a happy and generous man, but as time went on, the pearl began to make him greedy. Juan Tomas, Kino’s brother always did anything to protect Kino. In the book, there was also a priest, who had wanted to marry Kino and Juana because he was extremely greedy. There are many more characters that resemble greed, but Kino showed it most often.

Kino, a well-liked, generous, poor man finds a beautiful pearl, and he suddenly begins to be greedy and unkind. The pearl has suddenly wrecked his wonderful and equal relationship with Juana, his wife. He starts to get mad at Juana for trying to get rid of the pearl, when she thought that the it was evil. He punched her in the face. “He struck her in the face with his clenched fist and she fell among the boulders, and he

He hissed at her like a snake, and Juana stared at him with wide unfrightened eyes, like a sheep before the butcher,” (59).Kino’s relationship with Juana began to be all about himself. When she discovered that the pearl was evil, she cared about the money involved but also wanted to do what was right for the family; throw it in the ocean. Kino needed and wanted the money so much that, when he had the pearl, he became very egotistical and selfish. He said, “ ‘this pearl has become my soul, If I give it up I shall lose my soul’,” (67) By the end of the book, he reunited with Juana once again and became