Do the characters of The Pearl reveal authentic experiences of John Steinbeck?
ms-charleston-yawp Teacher High School – 11th Grade eNotes Editor In a way, yes, the characters of The Pearl reveal authentic experiences of John Steinbeck. Let me explain. Specifically, John Steinbeck met an important mentor in his early life: a mentor named Edward F. Ricketts. Rickets was a marine biologist who helped shape Steinbeck’s theories about humans place in creation. (I couldn’t help noticing the importance of the sea as well as the priceless pearl in Steinbeck’s novel. I wonder if that subject as a whole stemmed from that summer class Steinbeck took in biology at the Marine Station.) Enotes describes Steinbeck’s resulting vision as thus: “man should act in concert with others to live happily and for the good of all creation.” As a result, Steinbeck’s characters all begin in harmony with nature but gravitate towards discord as greed takes over them. This certainly happens with Kino and results in the ultimate sadness: the death of Coyotito. Therefore, the character of Kino h
