Every novel Steinbeck had written contains an intriguing theme that enlightens our hearts and souls, but in the story, "The Pearl" it is more than that. It brings the secrets of man's nature to the darkest depths of evil to life. This breathtaking tale brings readers back long ago when everybody lives in brush huts or stone huts. Living near the city next to a lake, many poor families try to find pearls in the Gulf. Life is hard, especially for this young family who are faced with life and death situation as evil spirits draw nearer and nearer. .
As the narrator tells the story from a 3rd person point of view, the readers get a sense of who the main character is. His name is Kino, a fisherman. This fisherman is very poor and hardly finds enough money to support his own family. His young spirit allows him to stay underwater for a long time to collect clams to see if there are any pearls inside. For many years, they had not found a single pearl. Juana, his wife is very supportive and never complains about the lack of food. Her strong will keeps Kino determined to keep searching the Gulf floor for the perfect clam that has the pearl. Coyotito is their baby boy. They hardly own anything except a brush hut and a rowboat that Kino's grandfather had passed down from generation to generations. .
Even though life is hard, it gets harder for the Kino family. One day, a scorpion stings their child. The sting would make an adult sick for days, but for a baby it would kill it. His mother tries to get out most of the poison but she still is not sure and wants to go to a doctor. Unfortunately, this doctor is raced. He treats the poor villagers as if there were animals and the rich as human begins. When Juana appeared at his door, a servant of his answers and ask how much money they have for the treatment. Kino shows the servant the amount and the doctor refuses: "Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for little Indians? I am a doctor, not a veterinary.
