In The Pearl, by John Steinbech, evil transforms certain .
humble citizens into envious savages.
doctor who refused to treat Coyotito because his parents had no money. .
When the doctor heard of Kino and Juana's fortune in finding "the .
pearl of the world" (722), he boasted that they were patients of his .
while thinking of a better life for himself in Paris. Coyotito was .
healed when the doctor finally came to their straw hut. He deceived .
Kino by giving the baby a white powder that made him go into .
convulsions. An hour later he came and gave Coyotito the remedy and .
immediately wanted to know when he was getting paid. The evil in the .
pearl had reached the heart of the doctor. The pearl's evil did not .
restrict itself to infecting Kino's peers; it also affected Kino .
himself. He wanted to sell the pearl and use the money to better his .
family's standard of living. He had dreams and goals that all .
depended on the pearl. When Juana wanted to destroy the pearl, Kino .
beat her unmercifully:.
He struck her in the face and she fell among the boulders, and .
he kicked her in the side.He hissed at her like a snake and she .
stared at him with wide unfrightened eyes, like a sheep before a .
butcher. (742) Juana saw through the outer beauty of the pearl and .
knew it would destroy them, but Kino's vision was blurred by the .
possible prosperity the pearl brought. The malignant evil then spread .
to a secret cult known only as the trackers. This corrupt band of .
ruffians attacked and destroyed Kino's life. The very night that the .
trackers learned of Kino's pearl, they tried to steal it. The next .
night, Kino was attacked twice, which resulted in Kino committing .
murder. After the final struggle of the night, Juana went back to .
their home to find more baneful members of the heartless cult .
rampaging through their belongings to find the pearl. The end result .
was Kino and Juana's house going up in flames. The trackers then .
