Character Sketch of Kino in ‘The Pearl’

Kino is an honest, and diligent to support his family. He is a simple and believes in the traditional values in the village. He is an ambitious and conscious of his poverty and believes that the money has power to buy anything one needs. It is therefore, he hopes to find a pearl that will guarantee him future peace.

Kino depends on nature for his income. When the waters are rough, he cannot go diving. When the sun sets, his workday ends. Kino’s life is completely changed by the discovery of a great pearl. The man who usually hears the Song of the Family begins to hear the voice of suspicion, and the sounds of danger. This song is really a powerful internal voice that alerts him about the dangers to come.

Again, Kino’s intelligence helps him realize that the rich and powerful people are exploiting the Indians including Kino. At first, instinctively, he senses the danger with the doctor and pearl buyers though he realizes it after his encounter with the trackers. He comes to realize that human beings will kill in order to gain money and power.

As Kino moves away from his natural habitat, he becomes isolated. With the pearl in hand, he marches toward the city in the belief that he can deal with civilized people. He lays claim to the benefits of civilization but soon realizes that he is a victim of the very society in which he hopes to earn a profit. Some readers believe that Kino brings about his own downfall by going against the forces of nature. Few see Kino as the symbol of an honest, hard-working man destroyed by greed. And others see him as a man unable to escape his fate.

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