What is the importance of family values in The Pearl?
The opening of The Pearl describes Kino and his family waking up and starting their day. He describes the sounds of this peaceful time as the "song of the family." Juana's actual singing was also a part of the family song. Together, all these sounds melded together. "Sometimes it rose to an aching chord that caught the throat, saying this is safety, this is warmth, this is the Whole." This small, humble world of their family, in its intimacy and simplicity, is safe from the evils of the world. This opening setting and familial description establishes the idea that to go beyond these perfectly sufficient conditions is to invite trouble. The contrast is with the "song of evil" which Kino equates with any foe of the family. The song of evil is compared to the music of the pearl which brought nothing but greed, envy and enemies.
Kino's and Juana's family...
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values are nurturing and loving because they are based on mutual respect and love for each other. With the pearl, relationships between them and other townspeople become conflicted because the nature of those relationships is based upon envy and greed. Life's meaning, at least for those new enemies of Kino, has become the pearl (wealth). Life's meaning for Kino's family is human relationships, although at one time, even Kino supposes what new things the pearl might bring.
However, those who live in Kino's area are initially and finally (when they suppose Kino's family has died) concerned for their well being. The fact that Kino refuses to steal someone's boat, even to escape, indicates a mutual respect between those of the village. The intimate relationships (prior to the greed brought on by the pearl) of their village are similar to the relationships between Kino and his family and both are certainly contrasted to the relationship between the village and the town where the doctor works. This is a class distinction since the town represents wealth, but it symbolizes the contrast between relationships (this one being between classes) based on wealth (doctor/Kino) and relationships based on love (Kino/Juana/Coyotito).
How is the theme of family represented in The Pearl?
Family is represented by the closeness of Kino to his wife and baby, and his desire to help Coyotito.
The first demonstration of family is in the first sentence, which focuses not just on Kino, but on his family.
"In the town they tell the story of the great pearl - how it was found and how it was lost again. They tell of Kino, the fisherman, and of his wife, Juana, and of the baby, Coyotito. (ch 1)
The opening scenes of the book are resplendent with simple domestic tranquility that shows that Juana loves Kino and he loves her, and they both love Coyotito. Kino describes it as the family song.
And this was part of the family song too. It was all part. Sometimes it rose to an aching chord that caught the throat, saying this is safety, this is warmth, this is the Whole. (ch 1)
Unfortunately, little Coyotito gets stung by a scorpion. Juana acts quickly, sucking the poison out, while Kino helplessly crushes the offending insect to bits. Their perfect life is no more, as everything they do is focused on Coyotito. This is part of being a family too. Family is enjoying the ones you love, and doing anything to protect them.
How is the theme of family relationship portrayed in The Pearl by John Steinbeck?
Familial relationships are one of the most important themes in The Pearl by John Steinbeck. The family of Kino, his wife, Juana, and their son, Coyotito, is very tight-knit, and the story begins with Coyotito being stung by a scorpion, setting his parents on a mission to save him from death. The doctor refuses to treat Coyotito, however; so, distraught, Kino heads off to look for the biggest pearl he can find in order to sell it and save his son. However, while Kino is away, Coyotito is healed. The family thus doesn't need to spend the money, but they are left with a giant pearl that draws everyone's envy. Here, the other themes of the story start to emerge, such as greed and good versus evil. Still, these themes are only important in the narrative because they threaten to (and eventually do) destroy Kino's family.
How does family relate to the meaning of The Pearl by John Steinbeck?
This is a great question. The role of family is central to the novella in two ways.
First, as the story progresses, we realize that Kino needed money to get the medical attention that Couotito needed after his scorpion bite. So, the whole plot of the story really is about the importance of family and a father's love for his son. This is also a part of the tragedy, because in the end the Kino's love is transformed into greed, which is the second point.
Kino's discovery of the pearl not only made him want to get a cure for Coyotito, but he also wanted wealth for his family. Here is one of the most important quotes of the book:
"In the pearl he saw Coyotito sitting at a little desk in a school, just as Kino had once seen it through an open door. And Coyotito was dressed in a jacket, and he had on a white collar and a broad silken tie. Moreover, Coyotito was writing on a big piece of paper."
We can see in this statement that Kino saw the pearl through the eyes of greed. Truth be told, everyone else did as well. People were willing to kill Kino to get the pearl and Kino was willing to kill others as well. However, the starting point was to find Coyotito a cure.