The pearl fisher

The central character is Kino, who makes his living diving deep into the ocean for fish and pearls. He searches for oysters which produce pearls inside their shells.

He leads a simple lifestyle with his wife Juana and their baby boy Coyotito. They live in a thatched hut, surrounded by their friends and family. They are devoted to one another and live according to the customs and traditions of their people.

They are content, but when their baby is bitten by a scorpion, everything changes. Poor people cannot afford the fees charged by the doctor. Suddenly, money is not just about buying goods. It can be the difference between life and death.

The evil doctor

A doctor should be interested only in saving lives. But the doctor in this story is interested only in money. He shows the ugliness of greed and we see this in his appearance. He is described as a fat, silly man who wants to earn as much as he can to enable him to indulge in his life of luxury.

When Coyotito is bitten by a scorpion, the doctor at first refuses to treat him because Kino does not have the money to pay him. As soon as Kino finds the pearl, the doctor arrives and is now willing to provide medicine.

The baby has already recovered, but the doctor gives him a drug that makes him sick again - so that he can cheat Kino of his money.

We can call the doctor corrupt. Similarly, the pearl traders are also corrupt. They conspire together to make sure that Kino does not get the money he deserves by selling his pearl. The desire for wealth leads people to cheat and lie.

Kino goes from good to bad

Gradually, we see Kino turning from a good man into a bad one. He becomes obsessed with money and in the process forgets about his values. He even hits Juana, the woman he loves. She sees what greed is doing to her husband. She urges him to throw the pearl back into the sea so that they can return to their old lifestyle.

Kino refuses and kicks his wife in anger. His desire for wealth is now greater than his desire for his wife. It is a striking demonstration of how money can corrupt people.

On the run

Kino has killed a man who was trying to steal the pearl. He is a fugitive on the run and tries to sell the pearl in another town where he is not known. He and his family are now separated from the traditional values that have nurtured them.

Men are hunting Kino like an animal. In the process, Coyotito is killed by a stray bullet. Kino kills the men, but it brings him no peace. He learns his lesson the hard way - there are things in life that are worth a lot more than money.

The song of the family

The story ends with Kino throwing the pearl back into the sea - as Juana had first asked him to do. If he had listened to his wife, all the unhappiness and bloodshed could have been prevented.

The Pearl remains true to its character as a folk story.

The central character learns a powerful lesson as a result of his suffering. He learns from his experience - and so does the reader.