Hypocrisy often strains human relations| The Pearl

 When Writing this essay First You Should consider the Following

·       Who pretends?

·       What does he/she do to show that he/she pretends?

·       How does the pretence affect negatively his/her relationship with others?

 Introduction

When we pretend, we stop being ourselves. This can affect how we relate with others. This happens in Steinbeck’s The Pearl

Body

The doctor who had earlier refused to treat Kino because he considered him poor, becomes excited when he learns that Kino has the pearl. This is all because he wants to get part of the pearl.

illustrations 

•  When the news about Kino’s pearl gets to the doctor, he declares that Kino is his client yet he had refused to treat Coyotito of the scorpion bite.

•   He begins to think about the luxurious life Kino’s pearl could afford him in Paris- a woman in a room and wine.
•  Accompanied by a man with a lantern, the doctor goes to Kino’s house, pretends he was never in when Kino sought his help and that now he had come to treat Coyotito  Kino feels enraged and hate for him
• The doctor administers a capsule on the child and comes after thirty minutes when the child’s condition has worsened
•  He demands to be paid but when he learns that Kino is yet to sell the pearl, he asks to keep it safely for him.
• He follows Kino’s eyes to where he had buried the pearl. Later that night Kino is attacked.

The priest comes to Kino’s house because he wants to be part of the pearl yet he has always considered Kino’s people as children.

 

Textual illustrations

•   When he walks into Kino’s house because the latter has the pearl, he starts by telling him that he is named after a great father of the church-“he who tamed the desert...” Kino becomes suspicious about him.
•   He tells Kino that it has come to him that Kino has the pearl and when indeed Kino shows him the pearl, he gasps at its size.
•  He asks him to remember to give thanks to God who has given him the treasure.
•  He leaves a happy man when he learns that they will marry in church.

The pearl buyer is only one but has several agents who pretend to haggle but always seeking to exploit the pearl sellers.

Textual illustrations

•  When the pearl buyers hear of Kino’s pearl, their fingers itch with expectation. They begin to nurse the thought that their patron would die and they would be the ones to benefit from such huge amounts.
•   The pearl buyers hide their pearls in the desks when they learn that Kino is coming to sell the pearl.
•  They arrange themselves to give some semblance of independence from each other yet they had connived to defraud Kino.
• They devalue the pearl with one offering him only 1000 piasters, another dismissing it as a monstrosity, the other using a magnifying glass to see its worth then dismisses it yet another offers 500 piasters
•   Faced with the reality of Kino going away with his pearl, the stout man offers Kino 1500 piasters which Kino rejects because he feels his pearl is worth 50,000 piasters.

 The doctor purports to be a church adherent yet he performs unsuccessful abortions.

Textual illustrations

• The doctor is said to be greedy, cruel and ignorant. He performs clumsy abortions that ended up killing his victims.
• When the doctor goes to church he gives pennies as alms

The people pretend to admire and follow Kino because of his new found status arising from the pear yet they envy him and long to have the pearl.

Textual illustrations

•  When Kino found the pearl of the world, the essence of the pearl is said to have mixed with the essence of men giving rise to a curious dark precipitate.
• When Kino kills a man, the very people who hero-worshipped him are very ones baying for his blood. They destroy his house with all his property before setting it ablaze.

 Conclusion

·       Living a lie can affect one’s interpersonal relationships.

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