The Pearl

The Pearl is a 1947 historical fiction novella by John Steinbeck. It is an expansion of his earlier short story, “The Pearl of the World,” published in the Woman’s Home Companion in 1945. Steinbeck also co-wrote the screenplay for a 1947 film adaption of the novella titled La perla, directed by Emilio Fernández. Citations in this guide correspond to the 1994 Penguin Books edition. The story, which is presented as a parable, follows a poor Mexican pearl diver who discovers a magnificent pearl only to find that it causes many more problems than it solves. Through the pearl diver’s experience, Steinbeck explores such topics as colonialism, greed, and family.

Content Warning: Please note that this guide references domestic violence, murder, and gun violence against a child.

Plot Summary

Kino, a young Native Mexican man, wakes up one morning in the brush house where he lives with his wife, Juana, and their infant child, Coyotito. Suddenly, a scorpion stings Coyotito. Kino and Juana ask the doctor in the nearby city of La Paz to treat Coyotito, but he refuses since they don’t have enough money.

A pearl diver by trade, Kino goes to work in the hopes of finding a pearl to pay the doctor.