Cover of The Pearl

The Pearl

by John Steinbeck · 1947

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Like his father and grandfather before him, Kino is a poor diver, gathering pearls from the gulf beds that once brought great wealth to the kings of Spain and now provide Kino, Juana, and their infant son with meager subsistence. Then, on a day like any other, Kino emerges from the sea with a pearl as large as a sea gull's egg, as "perfect as the moon." With the pearl comes hope, the promise of comfort and of security...

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A story of classic simplicity, based on a Mexican folk tale, The Pearlexplores the secrets of man's nature, greed, the darkest depths of evil, and the luminous possibilities of love.

Genre
historical fictionhistorical fictionMore like thisLess of thisliterary fictionliterary fictionMore like thisLess of thisadventureadventureMore like thisLess of this
Themes
childhoodchildhoodMore like thisLess of thispovertypovertyMore like thisLess of this
Setting
MexicoMexicoMore like thisLess of thishigh schoolhigh schoolMore like thisLess of thisUSAUSAMore like thisLess of thisLatin AmericaLatin AmericaMore like thisLess of this
Mood
sadsadMore like thisLess of thisdarkdarkMore like thisLess of thisemotionalemotionalMore like thisLess of thisintenseintenseMore like thisLess of thisthought provokingthought provokingMore like thisLess of this
Audience
adultyoung adult
Length
short · 96 pages
Form
novellanovellaMore like thisLess of thisshort storiesshort storiesMore like thisLess of this

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