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   parkerlee Teacher
   

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   The "event" immortalized in Steinbeck's rendition of a Mexican folk tale is a poor fisherman's discovery of a giagantic and perfect pearl. In Steinbeck's version (there was more than one circulating), the pearl which should have brought Kino and Juana financial security and even relative wealth caused instead their ultimate destruction.  The pearl bred jealousy and greed in the community, their house was burned and their boat destroyed, and when they took flight in direction of La Paz (to sell the pearl in the city at a fair price), they were stalked by trackers and their baby Coyotito, killed.

   In another folk version, the young peal finder becomes selfish and reckless and throws his fortune away senselessly. He does not value the worth of his treasure since he found it quite by accident instead of earning it duly through hard work.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/pearl-salem/pearl-9240001219

   http://www.enotes.com/pearl/literal-symbolic-pearl

   http://www.enotes.com/pearl/summary

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   Posted by parkerlee on Wednesday May 13, 2009 at 7:36 AM