the pearl by john steinbeck is the retelling

They take shelter in a cave, only for the trackers to make camp by a pool of water below them.

Leaving the road they have been using, Kino leads Juana into the mountains in order to leave fewer signs of their passage. Discovering that Kino's canoe has been damaged and their house looted and burned in search of the pearl, the family takes refuge with Kino's brother and his wife before setting out for the capital the following night.Īs they travel, Kino spots a trio of men following them and Juana realizes that their intent is to take the pearl and kill the entire family. After he forcibly stops her from throwing it into the ocean, he is attacked again Kino kills one man in self-defense, and he and Juana hurriedly flee with Coyotito to avoid any reprisals. More thieves attack him that night, but he remains resolved to make the journey despite Juana's warning that the pearl is evil and her suggestions to get rid of it. Pretending that Kino's pearl is of poor quality, they make offers of 1,500 pesos at most he angrily rejects them, believing the pearl to be worth 50,000 pesos, and vows to sell it in the capital instead.

He goes to sell it the next day, not knowing that all the pearl dealers in La Paz are working for a single buyer and conspiring to keep prices low. Juana warns him that the pearl will destroy the family, but Kino insists that it is their only chance for a better life. That night, Kino drives off a thief who attempts to break into his house. The doctor visits them to treat Coyotito, even though the baby seems to be recovering, and Kino promises to pay him after selling the pearl. Unaware of these reactions, Kino envisions selling the pearl and using the money to improve his family's lives. One oyster yields an immense pearl, which he calls 'The Pearl of the World' news of its discovery spreads quickly, and some of the family's neighbors start to resent Kino's luck in finding it. Kino and Juana visit the local doctor, but are turned away because of their poverty and his prejudices toward Amerindians.Īs Juana applies a seaweed poultice to the sting, Kino dives for oysters from his canoe, hoping to find a pearl valuable enough to cover the treatment fee. However, Coyotito shakes the rope, causing the scorpion to fall into the box and sting him. Kino sees a scorpion crawl down one of the ropes holding up the hanging box that serves as Coyotito's crib and tries to remove it. Kino, a poor pearl fisherman, lives with his wife Juana and their infant son Coyotito in La Paz, Baja California Sur.

The pearl by john steinbeck is the retelling