In The Pearl, Steinbeck describes the world that Kino, Juana and Coyotito inhabit almost exclusively in economic and colonial terms. Degrading Consequences of Poverty in The Pearl In essence, it appears that the moral lesson of The Pearl is for a non-European to accept his social station, or else. 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.
To such better disposed piggywiggys, I would say, for encouragement, that they have only to keep up appearances by regularly attending church, giving to charities, and always appearing deeply interested in moral philanthropy, to ensure a respectable and highly moral character, and that if they only are clever enough never to be found out, they may, sub rosa, study and enjoy the philosophy of life till the end of their days, and earn a glorious and saintly epitaph on their tombstone, when at last the Devil pegs them out.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. Friends are generally useless in an emergency of this kind they suggest all kinds of impossible names the following were some of the titles proposed in this instance: "Facts and Fancies," "The Cremorne," "The All Round," "The Monthly Courses," "The Devil's Own," and "Dugdale's Ghost" the two first had certainly great attractions to our mind, but at last our own ideas have hit upon the modest little "Pearl," as more suitable, especially in the hope that when it comes under the snouts of the moral and hypocritical swine of the world, they may not trample it underfoot, and feel disposed to rend the publisher, but that a few will become subscribers on the quiet. Having decided to bring out a Journal, the Editor racks his brains for a suitable name with which to christen his periodical. 143067 The Pearl - Volume 1 (July 1879) Printed for the Society of Vice An Apology for our Title
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