“Life is full of challenges and hardships.” From the novel that you have learnt, describe how a character overcomes the challenges and hardships in his/her life.

I choose to write about the life of Kino in John Steinbeck’s The Pearl. Kino’s life was full of challenges and hardships as he was poor. In order to overcome this, the Song of Family reassured Kino as the song represented harmony, peace, well-being, love and unity in his family.

Everyone, except his own family treated him with scorn and disdain. For instance, the doctor refused to treat Kino’s son, Coyotito, when the child was stung by a scorpion. This was because the doctor considered Kino and his family to be animals, when he said “I’m not a veterinary.” Kino had no choice but to endure the discrimination and treat his son with a homemade remedy made of seaweed.

Kino thought his life would change for the better when he found the pearl. Unfortunately this was not the case as his life became worse after he found the pearl. The doctor and pearl buyers tried to take advantage of Kino in order to benefit from the pearl. Intruders entered Kino’s home and tried to steal the pearl. An intruder even attacked and injured Kino. Kino’s house was burned and his boat was destroyed. In order to overcome these challenges, Kino used his brawn and even killed a man as a result. He also decided to La Paz and head for Loreto in search of a better life.

State an important decision made by one of the main characters in the novel and show how the decision changed his/her life. Support your answer with close reference to the text.

I choose to write about a decision made by Kino in John Steinbeck’s novel, The Pearl. When Kino decided to keep the pearl, this decision led to drastic changes in his life. Everyone, including Kino, imagined how they could benefit from the pearl.

Kino wanted to marry his wife, Juana, in a church, buy new clothes and shoes for his family, buy a new harpoon and a Winchester rifle and give Coyotito, his son, a good education. On the other hand, the doctor wanted to earn enough money from Kino so that he can return to France. The pearl buyers wanted to benefit from buying the pearl so that they can start their own business.

The decision to keep the pearl caused many problems for Kino. The safety of Kino’s family was threatened when intruders entered Kino’s home and tried to steal the pearl. He was also attacked and injured. His house was burned and his boat was destroyed. Kino even attacked and killed a man in order to protect the pearl. He became abusive when Juana persuaded him to throw the pearl away. In the end, Coyotito was killed by a stray bullet as Kino was pursued by three men. In conclusion, Kino’s decision to keep the pearl made him greedy, abusive and violent. His decision also led to his home and boat being destroyed. The worst was when his only son was killed.