The Pearl

John Steinbeck tells a parable about a young man named Kino, who makes a living by diving for pearls. Kino lives a traditional life along the Gulf of California in the town of La Paz around the year 1900.

Steinbeck portrays a deep understanding of human psychology as he tells a beautiful story that is rich in small details. It feels like he is familiar with the location, history and social dynamics of the Mexican coastal town.

Native Americans in La Paz have been pearl fishing since before arrival of Spanish conquistadors. Pearls are one of the few gems that need no extra work to be beautiful, so they have been valued by all cultures who discovered them.

Everyone in La Paz knows their place in society as they continue the simple traditions of work and worship. In town, the priest and the doctor are educated and powerful, while everybody else lives together in some form of contented servitude.

Kino lives among friends in the colonial town with his wife and newborn son. He also lives under the power and manipulation of a local priest and an avaricious doctor. The few powerful leaders in town look down on Kino and his Guaycura people who have lived there for ten thousand years.

One day, Kino walked from his hut and swam to the pearl bed at the bottom of the ocean like he did every morning. On this special occasion, he discovered the largest pearl every created. It was known in mythology as The Pearl of the World.

Such a discovery was impossible to hide, so the entire village quickly became aware of the dark luck of Kino and his wife. The book tells the story not only of Kino, but of the entire town and its reaction to the sudden appearance of newfound wealth.

This short parable of Kino is an old Mexican tale that hints at the parable The Pearl of Great Price told by Jesus to his followers. Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to finding a valuable pearl.

According to Jesus, becoming a child of God is valuable and worth more than everything else in life combined. His parable of a pearl is only two sentences long and is combined with another short parable of a hidden treasure.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."

The parable of Jesus makes it clear that we should do all we can to obtain the Treasure in the Field or the Pearl of Great Price. Steinbeck, however, takes that teaching one step further.

His story about Kino explores an ancient version of the question: What happens when you win the lottery? Do friends celebrate with you, or are dark passions unleashed against you?

The first thing that happens when a person comes into extreme wealth, or if they possess something valuable, is that they stand out as different. It is seldom a good idea to stand out as different, especially if that means you are better off than your friends and family.

Jealousy and a desire by other people to return you to your former state become powerful forces against you. Destructive gossip and even physical threats can destroy your life.

The next question is how much wealth can a person keep for themself without looking selfish? There is an unspoken social imperative that a person must share disproportionate wealth with other people. Anyone who does not receive their fair share of your wealth will seek to obtain it one way or another.

Another problem with possessing something of value is that it is difficult to protect valuable items from theft or harm. If we possess an object, it can be stolen. Even if we sell the object, the money we receive for it can be taken from us.

When Jesus teaches that we are to sell everything and obtain the Pearl of Great Price, he is calling us to a life of potential loss of friends and family, and perhaps even our lives. Our social lives will change, and we will need to learn how to manage such a valuable thing as a relationship with God.

Thankfully, Jesus also teaches that a relationship with him is not something that can be taken away from us. Matthew, one of his disciples, records the following statement of Jesus.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

The idea that the Pearl of Great Price is actually a spiritual relationship with God that cannot be taken away solves the problem of theft, but still leaves us with the potential loss of relationships or even our life.

In the story by Jonn Steinbeck, Kino was forced to make a decision about the pearl he discovered. He held something very valuable in his hands. During the time it was in his possession, he suffered greatly as he learned about the human heart through reactions of people in town.

Should Kino continue holding onto the pearl and suffer, or should he rid himself of the pearl and return to a life of normalcy and social balance? Or is it too late to return to his former life?

CONTINUE

Indonesian spear fisherman near Sulawesi