In John Steinbeck's novel The Pearl, Kino kills the three men to protect the pearl. When he hears “the cry of death” he realizes that the pearl has caused more harm than good (114). The pearl became more important to Kino because it would allow him to provide for his family by increasing their social status. Finding a pearl was considered rare: "But the pearls were accidents, and the finding of one was luck, a little pat on the back by God or the gods both" (22). Kino was meant to find a pearl and sell it right away to pay for his son's medical needs. His need for riches becomes greater than his feelings for the people that he loved. He threw the pearl into the ocean because he no longer has a purpose for it. The reason he sought out
