Summary
My son will read and open the books .
. . he will know and through him we will know. . . . This is what
the pearl will do.
(See Important Quotations Explained)
Word of Kino’s discovery travels quickly. Even before
Kino returns to his brush house, everyone in town knows that he
has found “the Pearl of the World.” Throughout town, people of every
class—from the beggar to the businessman to the priest—dream of
how Kino’s pearl can help them. Like everyone else, the doctor who
turned Kino away desires the pearl.
Ignorant of others’ jealousy, Kino and Juana delight
in their good fortune, inviting family and friends to share their
joy in their newfound treasure. When Juan Tomás asks Kino what he
will do with his wealth, Kino details his plans: a proper marriage
in the church, new clothing for the family, a harpoon, and a rifle,
among other things. Kino’s new boldness amazes Juana, especially
when he expresses his desire for Coyotito to be sent to school and
educated. Kino himself is surprised somewhat by his own resolute
statement, and all of the neighbors stare at the mighty pearl with
a mixture of hope and fear at the enormous changes that lie ahead.
As dusk approaches, Juana revives the fire, and the neighbors overstay
their welcome. Near dark, the priest comes to deliver a benediction.
Once he has blessed the household, he asks to see the pearl. Dazzled,
the priest implores Kino to remember the church in his new prosperity.
Juana announces their intention to be married in the church, and
the priest leaves them with a kind word. A sense of evil overcomes
Kino in the wake of the priest’s visit.
The neighbors disperse to their own suppers, and Juana
begins to prepare a meal of baked beans. Kino huddles beneath a
blanket in the cold night, keeping the pearl close to his body.
Plagued with continued ill feeling, Kino meditates on the former
security of his family, and on the menacing uncertainty into which
their newfound fortune has cast them.
From the door of his brush house, Kino watches two men approach.
The figures prove to be the doctor and his servant, who have come
to examine Coyotito’s wound. Kino brusquely dismisses the doctor’s
attentions, but when the doctor makes a sinister insinuation about
the lingering potential for infection, Kino relents and allows him
to enter. Juana is extremely suspicious of the doctor, but Kino
reassures her. When the doctor examines Coyotito, he contends that
he has found evidence of complications and produces a capsule of
medication that he proceeds to administer. Claiming that the poison
will strike within an hour and that the medicine may prove lifesaving,
the doctor declares that he will return in an hour to check on Coyotito’s
progress.
As Juana stares at Coyotito with concern, Kino realizes
that he has been careless in not guarding the pearl. Without delay,
he wraps the pearl in a rag, digs a hole, and buries the pearl in
a corner of the brush house, concealing the hiding place from view.
As Kino eats his supper, a small black puppy lingers in the doorway
and shakes its tail nervously. Afterward, Juana alerts Kino that
Coyotito’s condition is growing worse, and she sings soothingly
in an effort to comfort the baby. When Coyotito becomes visibly
ill, an evil feeling fills Kino once again.
