Kino, Juana, and their infant
son, Coyotito, live in a modest brush house by the sea.
One morning, calamity strikes when a scorpion stings Coyotito. Hoping
to protect their son, Kino and Juana rush him to the doctor in town.
When they arrive at the doctor’s gate, they are turned away because
they are poor natives who cannot pay enough.
Later that same morning, Kino and Juana take their family canoe,
an heirloom, out to the estuary to go diving for pearls. Juana makes
a poultice for Coyotito’s wound, while Kino searches the sea bottom.
Juana’s prayers for a large pearl are answered when Kino surfaces
with the largest pearl either of them has ever seen. Kino lets out
a triumphant yell at his good fortune, prompting the surrounding
boats to circle in and examine the treasure.
In the afternoon, the whole neighborhood gathers
at Kino’s brush house to celebrate his find. Kino names a list of
things that he will secure for his family with his newfound wealth,
including a church wedding and an education for his son. The neighbors
marvel at Kino’s boldness and wonder if he is foolish or wise to
harbor such ambitions.
Toward evening, the local priest visits Kino to bless
him in his good fortune and to remind him of his place within the
church. Shortly thereafter, the doctor arrives, explaining that
he was out in the morning but has come now to cure Coyotito. He
administers a powdered capsule and promises to return in an hour.
In the intervening period, Coyotito grows violently
ill, and Kino decides to bury the pearl under the floor in a corner
of the brush house. The doctor returns and feeds Coyotito a potion
to quiet his spasms. When the doctor inquires about payment, Kino
explains that soon he will sell his large pearl and inadvertently
glances toward the corner where he has hidden the pearl. This mention
of the pearl greatly intrigues the doctor, and Kino is left with
an uneasy feeling.
Before going to bed, Kino reburies the pearl under his
sleeping mat. That night, he is roused by an intruder
digging around in the corner. A violent struggle ensues, and Kino’s
efforts to chase away the criminal leave him bloodied. Terribly
upset by this turn of events, Juana proposes that they abandon the
pearl, which she considers an agent of evil.
The next morning, Kino and Juana make their way to town
to sell the pearl. Juan Tomás, Kino’s brother, advises Kino to be
wary of cheats. Indeed, all of the dealers conspire to bid low on
the pearl. Kino indignantly refuses to accept their offers, resolving
instead to take his pearl to the capital. That evening, as Kino
and Juana prepare to leave, Juan Tomás cautions Kino against being
overly proud, and Juana repeats her wish to be rid of the pearl.
Kino silences her, explaining that he is a man and will take care
of things.
In the middle of the night, Juana steals away
with the pearl. Kino wakes as she leaves and pursues her, apprehending
her just as she is poised to throw the pearl into the sea. He tackles
her, takes the pearl back, and beats her violently, leaving her
in a crumpled heap on the beach. As he returns to the brush house,
a group of hostile men confronts him and tries to take the pearl from
him. He fights the men off, killing one and causing the rest to
flee, but drops the pearl in the process.
As Juana ascends from the shore to the brush house, she
finds the pearl lying in the path. Just beyond, she sees Kino on
the ground, next to the dead man. He bemoans the loss of the pearl,
which she presents to him. Though Kino explains that he had no intention
to kill, Juana insists that he will be labeled a murderer. They
resolve to flee at once. Kino rushes back to the shore to prepare
the canoe, while Juana returns home to gather Coyotito and their
belongings.
Kino arrives at the shore and finds his canoe destroyed
by vandals. When he climbs the hill, he sees a fire blazing, and
realizes that his house has burned down. Desperate to find refuge,
Kino, Juana and Coyotito duck into Juan Tomás’s house, where they
hide out for the day. Relieved that the three did not perish in
the blaze, as the rest of the neighborhood believes, Juan Tomás
and his wife, Apolonia, reluctantly agree to keep Kino and Juana’s
secret and provide shelter for them while pretending to be ignorant
of their whereabouts.
At nightfall, Kino, Juana, and Coyotito set out for the
capital. Skirting the town, they travel north until sunrise
and then take covert shelter by the roadside. They sleep for most
of the day and are preparing to set out again when Kino discovers
that three trackers are following them. After hesitating briefly,
Kino decides that they must hurry up the mountain, in hopes of eluding
the trackers. A breathless ascent brings them to a water source, where
they rest and take shelter in a nearby cave. Kino attempts to mislead
the trackers by creating a false trail up the mountain. Kino, Juana,
and Coyotito then hide in the cave and wait for an opportunity to
escape back down the mountain.
The trackers are slow in their pursuit and finally arrive
at the watering hole at dusk. They make camp nearby, and two of
the trackers sleep while the third stands watch. Kino decides that
he must attempt to attack them before the late moon rises.
He strips naked to avoid being seen and sneaks up to striking distance.
Just as Kino prepares to attack, Coyotito lets out a cry, waking
the sleepers. When one of them fires his rifle in the direction
of the cry, Kino makes his move, killing the trackers in a violent
fury. In the aftermath, Kino slowly realizes that the rifle shot
struck and killed his son in the cave.
The next day, Kino and Juana make their way back through town
and the outlying brush houses. Juana carries her dead son slung
over her shoulder. They walk all the way to the sea, as onlookers
watch in silent fascination. At the shore, Kino pulls the pearl
out of his clothing and takes one last, hard look at it. Then, with
all his might, under a setting sun, he flings the pearl back into
the sea.
