. . evil because of the way men use it so man appears . . . evil because of the ways men use other men" (Karsten, pg. 318). It is therefore obvious that as Kino gets closer to achieving his dream of escaping ignorance the things that used to come first become secondary to the pearl. In addition this shows how Kino's desires or wants are taking over his judgement. In conclusion in The Pearl, Steinbeck shows how when desires build to an extent much like anger they can not be controlled for long, and eventually they take over all reasoning abilities. .
The characters' attitudes, personalities, and emotions are changing rapidly. First, Juana takes the pearl to throw it away but Kino awakens and begins to track " . . . her, and his brain [is] red with anger " (Steinbeck, pg. 58). Then when Kino is attacked "Juana [quiets] him as she would a sick child" (Steinbeck, pg. 61). Kino's obsession with the pearl causes him and Juana to argue and be separated in their goals. Although Kino's abusive behavior hurts Juana, she stands by his side, still. Also, after finding the pearl Kino remembers an old saying, " . . . each one must remain faithful to his post . . . else the castle is in danger from the assaults of Hell" (Steinbeck, pg. 46). According to Peter Lisca, when Kino tells Juana "[He] is a man," it represents Kino's endless quest to move immovable mountains (Lisca, pg. 132). Kino leaves his post of protector to his family and member of the community to move his immovable mountain of escaping ignorance. Kino's contentedness with his lifestyle changes once he gets the pearl and he becomes no longer happy with the life he leads. The morning Kino finds the pearl is described as " . . . the morning of all mornings comparable only to the day when the baby had been born" (Steinbeck, pg. 43). According to Lisca " No lure is greater than to possess what others want, no disaster greater then not to be content with what one has.