To What Extent Does the Social/ Cultural Context of “the Pearl” Influence the Life of Its Main Character, Kino?

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To What Extent Does the Social/ Cultural Context of “The Pearl” Influence the Life of Its Main Character, Kino? During the early 16th century, from the landing of Hernán Cortés, the Aztec civilization was invaded and conquered by the Spaniards. When Spain invaded Mexico, people started to speak Spanish and were being forced to convert to the Catholic religion. For numerous generations after this occurred, the “Mexican Indians” were oppressed and John Steinbeck shows this oppression in “The Pearl” when portraying different characters such as the doctor, and the trackers. An example of oppression in “The Pearl” could be when the doctor turns Kino away because he is a different race from the doctor. He shows this by saying “I am a doctor not a veterinary. Throughout the novel you see that the Spanish colonizers who govern the Native people seem to destruct the Mexicans innocence and purity. Once Kino’s and Juana’s only son, Coyotito is stung by a scorpion, they all travel to the doctor to seek for help. Kino asks for the treatment but the doctors reacts with scorn and says “Have I nothing better to do then cure insect bites for little Indians?”. This shows that the doctor is looks down on Kino’s race and sees the natives as just animals. After Kino and Juana find “the greatest pearl of the world”, he believes that the pearl would help his entire family have a much better life. At first, he just wants his son to get well again but then has fantasies of getting married to Juana in a church and having “a rifle”. Then, Kino kills three trackers who mistook Coyotito for a coyote and shot him. Eventually, Kino realises that the pearl would bring nothing but evil upon their family. As a result of this, he and Juana have the courage to throw it back into the sea so this would not happen to another person again. During the beginning of the novel, Steinbeck

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