The Pearl (novella)
Written by John Steinbeck in 1947, The Pearl, set in a small, ocean-side village, tells the story of Kino, a strong young father faced with the struggle of providing for his sick son. Like many of Steinbeck's works, the book primarily addresses the issues of poverty, wealth and an unjust society, particularly focusing on wealth's effect on relationships and its connection with happiness. La Perla (The Pearl), a 1948 Spanish language motion picture is based on the book.
Story Line
In the beginning of the book, Kino's happy but poor life with his wife and young son is interrupted by his son being stung by a scorpion. Hoping to save his dying son, he looks to village's doctor for help, but is rejected because of his inability to pay. Desperate for money, he tries his luck at pearl hunting, and finds a huge pearl which he hopes will not only pay for his son's medical treatment, but also fulfill his dreams of improving his family's quality of living.
Instead, the pearl only brings more problems to the young man's life. The local pearl buyers, attempting to cheat him, offer him only a small fraction of the pearl's real value. After Kino angrily refuses them, a thief breaks into his home by night, but Kino kills him in his zeal to protect his pearl. Recognizing the damaging effect that the pearl has on Kino, his wife attempts to convince him to throw it away, but he refuses, clutching to his only hope at escaping poverty. He decides to flee with his family to the city, but is pursued by armed thieves. He ultimately kills them, but only after they shoot and kill his son. Kino then realizes that the pearl is not that valuable, throws it into the ocean, and returns to the village.
Motion Picture
Similar to the plot of the book, the film which tells the story of a poor Mexican diver who finds a magnificent pearl which can improve his family's life; however, his family soon finds that with the pearl comes no true improvement of life, just corruption of the soul and the blinding luxuries of "civilized" life. It stars Pedro Armendáriz and María Elena Marqués.
The movie was adapted by Emilio Fernández, John Steinbeck and Jack Wagner from the novel by Steinbeck. It was directed by Fernández.