When read as a parable however, The Pearl definitely teaches the evils of greed, with a subtle yet unmistakable hint of classism. ![]() This disclaimer suggests an attempt by Steinbeck to distance himself from the traditional purpose of the parable, to instruct or demonstrate a moral or religious lesson. Steinbeck describes the story as a parable in the introduction, albeit in a decidedly non-committal manner: “If this story is a parable, perhaps everyone takes his own meaning from it and reads his own life into it” (Steinbeck 1). ![]() Though the pearl initially symbolizes a way to help his family, Kino soon develops intense greed in his quest to sell it, and pays for his avarice with the life of his young son. Kino adopts desperate lengths to use the pearl to leverage himself, his wife Juana, and their son Coyotito out of a life mired in servitude and want.
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