In a novella “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck, a poor fisherman named Kino who goes diving in search for pearls in order to pay a doctor to treat his first born son Coyotito, who was stung by a scorpion. Steinbeck characterizes women as servants to their husbands and caretakers of their children. Although Juana, Kino’s wife, is not viewed as an equal in the novella. She can be interpreted as the symbol of hope for her husband Kino because throughout the story she does not get corrupted by greed and she tries to convince Kino to do what is right for their family. In the beginning of novella Steinbeck depicts Juana as “Fragile wife. She, who was obedient and respectful and cheerful and patient, she could arch her back in child pain with hardly…show more content… Juana warns Kino multiple times throughout the story she says “This pearl is like a sin! It will destroy us, throw it away Kino. Let us break it between stones. Let us bury it and forget the place. Let us throw it back into the the sea. It has brought evil. Kino, my husband, it will destroy us.” (Steinbeck, 38), but Kino’s vision for a better future for their family clouded his better judgement. Even when Juana tries to throw the pearl back into the sea, Kino stops her by beating her and taking the pearl back, Juana does not fight back or even get mad. This is because she believes that Kino is not in his right mind and that the pearl has corrupted his mind. Juana stands by Kino when he kills a man that tries to steal the pearl and joins him when he must run away to avoid getting arrested. At one point Kino demanded to continue running on his own but Juana, standing up for herself, insists on continuing together. Throughout the time she is on the run with him she tries to convince him the evils that the pearl possess. This shows Juana’s strength and hope that Kino will get rid of the pearl and once again be the man she knew before the…show more content… When the trackers get to the caves Kino goes out to fight them during the brawl one of the trackers shot and killed Kino’s and Juana’s baby Coyotito, in the end of this Kino killed the trackers. Towards the end of the novella Steinbeck writes “ The two came from the rutted country road into the city, and they were not walking single file, Kino ahead and Juana behind, as usual but side by side” (Steinbeck, 88). This quote suggests that after all Juana and Kino went through at the end they are equals. At the end of the novella Kino finally realizes the evil the pearl has caused, so he and Juana go to the sea and Kino throws the pearl back into the sea. Juana remains at the side of Kino because she knows that now he sees what she has seen most of the