The Pearl Oppression

The Social Work Dictionary defines social oppression as the social act of placing severe restrictions on an individual, group or institution. This is rampant in The Pearl. An example is when the doctor refused to help Coyotito partly because he was a native. He even went as far as to say "Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for 'little Indians'? I am a doctor, not a veterinary." (Steinbeck 6). In that statement, he shows that to him, natives are no different than animals. Moreover, as Kino attempts to sell the pearl, he is faced with pearl buyers with incentives purely based on greed who perceived him to be ignorant and susceptible to their tricks. They anticipated that he would be effortless to cheat solely based on his impoverishment and race. Lastly, there was also social oppression within the indigenous community. It is demonstrated in the way Juana, the wife of Kino, is treated. She suffers physical and mental abuse at the hands of Kino but does not see it as …show more content…
The selling of the pearl would have allowed his family to overcome economic oppression as they could afford education for their son and simple necessities. An educated Coyotito could have shared his knowledge with other natives, making them less impervious to the dishonest ways of the colonials. As the story progressed, it becomes evident that the pearl does not bring the life Kino had hoped for. Instead, during his fight to sell it, he loses the most significant elements of his life, his canoe and with it his job, home, and child. Through their journey, they do not advance in the social hierarchy. But, as they are returning to their home, Kino and Juana symbolically walk side by side to show that the hardships they had faced now made them equal. Overall, the pearl made the family subject to pain and suffering and did little to nothing to relieve them from social or economic