2009 Setara test

As we all know, I didn’t sit for this test. I was in Kedah, watching with helplessness and despair while the bias judges approved the 2009 qualifying motion for the national level debate competition. Anyway, I thought that I didn’t have to take this test and was looking forward to an empty blog. Unfortunately, life being life, decided that I should not be exempted. So here it is.

Question:

What moral values did you learn after reading the novel ‘The Pearl’ by John Steinbeck? Support your answer with close reference to the text.

Answer:

The Pearl, written by John Steinbeck, is a very interesting read as not only does it provide the readers with an insight to the Indian-Mexican’s way of life, the novel also ingrains many moral values which will certainly mould the readers for the better.

Although the novel has countless moral values, there are three main ones which I find very powerful indeed.

The moral value that I first wish to write about is that we should always love one another, especially our family members. Now, this moral value is clearly shown by the two main characters of this novel, Kino and Juana. These two characters love their family very much and are willing to go the extra mile to ensure their family’s safety. For example, when Kino finds the pearl, his first thoughts are about his family and how the pearl will benefit them. He jealously guards the pearl and is even willing to kill a man just to ensure that the pearl will remain in his hands, thereby changing his family’s life for the better. The fact that he is willing to commit a heinous act already proves that indeed, Kino loves his family very much. Juana, Kino’s wife, also instills this moral value in the readers. She, like her husband, too, is willing to do everything within her means to ensure her family’s safety. Although Kino ‘struck her in the face with his clenched fist’ (page 57), Juana does not fight back nor does she leave her husband. Instead, she sticks by him and even follows him to the mountains afterwards as she loves and treasures her family very much. These incidents tell the readers that family means everything to these two characters. I believe that this moral value is the strongest the novel has to offer as indeed, blood is thicker than water. Our family will always be with us through thick and thin; therefore, we should love them and do all we can for them as they, too, will definitely do the same thing for us.

Another interesting moral value that I have gained from The Pearl is that in life, things are rarely what they seem to be. Before the discovery of the pearl, Kino leads a happy, albeit poor life. He and Juana have nothing extra, yet they earn enough to keep themselves and their son alive. However, they hold on to their belief that should they find The Pearl, then their lives will certainly change for the better as they will be richer. They think that with the wealth that comes with The Pearl, they will be able to live a more comfortable and luxurious life, and therefore be more content. However, when Kino finally finds The Pearl, they are rudely awakened to the truth. Instead of bringing joy and happiness to them, The Pearl becomes a source of trials and violence. The Pearl attracted both friends and foe, with the latter being savagely killed by Kino. Although Kino refuses to admit it, Juana herself claims that ‘The Pearl is evil,’ (page 55) and tries to destroy it. From these events, I have learnt that life isn’t all it seems to be. Although we may think that a certain something might benefit us, we may, in fact, be hugely mistaken. After all, the grass will always look greener on the other side, but whether or not it is succulent will remain a mystery.

I have also learnt that money changes people. This fact has been repeatedly shown and proven by the characters, both the protagonists as well as the antagonists. For example, at the start of the story, the Doctor refuses to treat Coyotito as Kino does not have any money to pay the Doctor for his services. However, after the news of Kino’s pearl reaches the Doctor’s ears, he immediately checks on Coyotito and is even polite to Kino. Even the main character, Kino, too, is changed by The Pearl. Before his discovery, Kino is a humble man, who does not speak much and does not go to extremes. However, The Pearl changes him completely and brings out a new side of him that the readers are, before this, unaware of. Kino becomes a man who acts before he thinks and is violent to anyone whom he sees as a threat. This alternate ego is clearly seen when Kino attacks his very own wife, Juana. Kino was even on the verge of killing her before ‘the rage left him and a sick disgust took over him.’ (page 58) The fact that Kino is willing to hurt one of the few souls, who, before this, meant the world to him, shows that indeed, money changes people. I believe that even the most compassionate of us may turn into a hardhearted, insensitive soul if money is at stake because our ignorant understanding causes us to believe that money does guarantee happiness. It is no surprise then, when people say that ‘money is the root of all evil.’

The Pearl has indeed imparted many positive moral values within the readers, but as I’ve stated before, I find these three values to be the most impressive of them all: We should always love our family, life is rarely what it seems, and money changes people.

As the readers, we should try our best to exercise these principals in our life so that just like Kino, we will be one step closer to becoming a better individual.

Raihan A.

2144 hours

Monday, August 03, 2009