The Pearl (John Steinbeck)

This short 90-page novel is a literary delight. Within its few pages Steinbeck’s excellent mastery of words is evident as he expertly paints beautiful and compelling scenes in our mind’s eye. In spite of its short length Steinbeck draws us deep into the life of his protagonist Kino as we see the devastating effects on what should have been a life-giving and rejuvenating find of the greatest of pearls. Steinbeck’s writings always explore deep and interesting social themes; you only need read some of his other works such as Of Mice and Men and Canary Row to hear Steinbeck’s social critique of the American Dream. The Pearl voices similar criticism, revealing once again emptiness at finding what should have satisfied only destroys. How true this is of our neighbours, colleagues, family and friends who are without Christ. They run after many things - wealth, careers, health, houses, alcohol (the list is endless) - in a desperate attempt to find satisfaction and the solution to all of their problems. Instead what they find are bitter emptiness and disappointment. For it is only in Christ, the living water, that the empty ache in our lives can be filled. Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14). The pearl promised Kino much but brought only anguish to him. Christ is far better for he promises much and never fails to keep his promises.