“The society has lost its moral values.” Using the Pearl by John Steinbeck for your illustrations, show the truth of the above statement

      

“The society has lost its moral values.” Using the Pearl by John Steinbeck for your illustrations, show the truth of the above statement

  

Answers


ayub
Option A

In the contextual modern society materialisim and greed have blinded people to the extent of losing their moral values. likewise in the community portrayed by John Steinbeck there is moral decadence due to greed, materialism, hypocrisy and exploitation that is portrayed through characters such as Kino,the doctor,the priest and many others.

When Kino gets the pearl, people are greedy to either have the Pearl or the money when the pearl is sold. When the priest learns about the pearl,he thinks certain repairs in the church. He also wonders how much the Pearl is worth. Later he reminds Kino to give thanks to the one who has given him the treasure. All this translate to him getting part of the money when the pearl is sold. The doctor is also greedy. When he learns about the Pearl,he says, “ I am treating this child for a scorpion sting” yet he refused to treat him earlier because he has no money. In the evening he visits Kino to treat koyotito who is already okay. This is prompted by the money Kino is supposed to get once he sells the Pearl.

The actions of some characters is based on acquisition of material possession. Kino guards the pearl with with all energy including killing several people who attempt to steal it from him. At one point, he slaps and kicks his wife who attempts to throw the Pearl away. The paarl buyers are materialistic. They offer the least amount to Kino to maximize on the prophit they will make once they sell the Pearl. The doctor is ready to treat Koyotito after Kino gets the pearl since there is Hope of getting money.

The pearl buyers hypocritical. They they pretend they are not interested in buying the pearl, yet they are itching to get the same. No wonder there are several attempts to steal the pearl from Kino. The doctor is also hypocritical. When Kino and Juana take Koyotito for treatment at his house, he sent the servant informing them he's not in because they did not have money. When learns about the Pearl, he visits Kino and offers to treat koyotito and wait for money. The reason why he is ready to treat him is because there is Hope for money once the pearl is sold.

The doctor is more interested in money than the lives of the poor villagers. The old woman whose sickness is old age but the doctor does not tell her because he wants money. The priest also exploits the congregation when he learns about the pearl,he thinks about whatever he had married them in church and repairs the church needs. Th pearl buyers also exploit the villagers by buying their pearls at a lower price than the actual. They also intend/conspire to cheat Kino off his pearl.

In conclusion it is clear that the behavior by the characters portray a society that has morally decayed. Greed has pushed people to view possessions as more important than human life.

Option B

Greed

When Kino gets the pearl, people are greedy to either have the pearl or the money when the Pearl is sold.
The priest thinks about the church repairs. He also wonders how much the Pearl is worth. He tells Kino to give thanks to one who has given him the treasure. All this translates to him getting part of the money when the Pearl is sold.



Materialism

Kino guards the pearl with all the energy including killing several people who attempt to steal it from him. When Juana wants to throw away the Pearl, he slaps and kicks her.
The pearl buyers’ are materialistic. They offer the least to Kino to maximize on the profit they make once they sell the pearl.

Hypocrisy

The doctor is hypocrital. When Kino and Juana take Coyotito for treatment at his house, he sends the servant informing them he is not in because they have no money. When he learns about the pearl, he visits Kino and offers to treat Coyotito and wait for money. The reason why he is ready to treat him is because there is hope for money once the pearl is sold.

Exploitation

- The doctor is interested in the money than the lives of the poor villages
- The priest also exploits his congregation when he learns about the pearl, he thinks about whether he had married them in church and the repair the church needs.
- The pearl buyers exploit the buyers by buying their pearls at a lower price than the actual.
- They conspire to cheat Kino off his pearl.

Violence

- Kino attacks Juana who wants to throw back the pearl to the sea.
- The three trackers carry weapons of war. It ends in Coyotito’s death.

maalimA answered the question on April 4, 2019 at 06:47


Next: The diagram below shows a ball being whirled in a vertical plane.
Previous: The figure below shows a uniform bar of length 1.0m pivoted near one end. The bar is kept in equilibrium by a spring balance as...

View More English Literature Questions and Answers | Return to Questions Index


Exams With Marking Schemes

Related Questions