The doctor exemplifies materialism (as well as racism) in chapter 1. When Kino and Juana take their baby, Coyotito, who has been stung by a scorpion, to see the doctor, he refuses to treat the child. John Steinbeck describes his luxurious clothes of silk and his emphasis on the fee over the child’s welfare.

In contrast, the emphasis in chapter 2 is on the difference in Kino and Juana’s approach to life. While Kino dreams of finding a huge and valuable pearl, he sees it as a means to care for his family. They are not only too poor to buy many things, but they make and maintain many of the tools and materials for their own sustenance. Their fishing canoe is described as being handcrafted by Kino. His knowledge of pearl-diving is a valuable asset—one he learned from his father.