Ida Fink

1340 Words6 Pages
In both stories, The Pearl by John Steinbeck and “Crazy” by Ida Fink, the protagonists put someone at risk by doing what they think is right. In The Pearl, the main character, Kino, becomes obsessive over a pearl that he finds in the ocean. He is so in love with the pearl and how it could benefit him financially that he loses who he really loves: his family. He changes from a caring, hardworking man, who would do anything for his family, into a dangerous, animal-like person. He risks the lives of himself and his loving wife, Juana, and in the end, is the indirect cause of his newborn baby’s death. His baby, Coyotito, is stung by a scorpion in the beginning of the book and is in need of medical care. The cost of this care is exorbitant,…show more content…
They both try to do what is best for their families but they do it the wrong way. At the start of The Pearl, the author explains how Kino is very talented at finding pearls and says, “Kino, in his pride and youth and strength, could remain down over two minutes without strain” (Steinbeck 18). This quote explains how proud and strong Kino is when he is diving for pearls. Kino’s pride explains how he could be self-centered and seem to care only about himself, which is how he acts throughout the book. Even though he does care for his family’s safety, he loses sight of their importance when all he can think about is money. In the beginning of the story the father tells in “Crazy,” he never wanted his children to get hurt. He says, “My children were beautiful!” (Fink 107) and “My oldest girl was already going to school and she brought home a report card- all A’s from top to bottom” (Fink 107). These quotes reveal how he loves his children and how proud he is of them. He values them so much, only to let them go so he could save himself. Neither of the characters know or plan to react this way, but aren’t able to control their actions when the time comes. These actions cause life-changing and devastating…show more content…
For Kino, he ends up being so consumed with the pearl that he was blinded, thus allowing his life to collapse. Also, he beats Juana because she tries to take the pearl away from him, which shows that he values the pearl over his own wife. He acts as if he doesn’t care about anyone or anything other than the pearl. He says, “I will fight this thing. I will win over it. We will have our chance” (Steinbeck 57) which demonstrates that he wants to win against the pearl and not fight with it anymore. He merely wants the money so the inner battle between him and the pearl will be over. The pearl has caused unwanted consequences that would change Kino’s life forever. He also has to earn back Juana’s trust and respect after everything he did. The man from “Crazy,” on the other hand, is not given the opportunity to earn his daughters back because there is no way to get them back. He tells his therapist, “Better yet, give me some medicine so I won’t have to hide and shout, ‘I’m coming! I’m coming!’ because in any case they can’t hear me anymore” (Fink 109). He says this because instead of saving his kids, he lets them go and never come back. Both Kino and the man from “Crazy” will never be able to earn back their children because they give them up in a way that’s impossible to get them back. Both characters will have this guilt
Show More
Related

  • Lynch Law In America Summary

    1025 Words  | 5 Pages

    Americans by scared, angry, white men. Hailing from Mississippi, and having encounters with race injustice herself, Ida B. Wells wrote Lynch Law In America which addressed the history, ins and outs of what lynching was, and why it should be stopped. Though she had the right to be angry about what was happening in America, her use of ethos mixed with logos helped connect with the right

    Read More

  • Eyewitness Testimony In Ida Fink's Play 'The Table'

    518 Words  | 3 Pages

    testimony and serve justice? You would be called an eyewitness, in legal terms the phrase ‘eyewitness testimony’ refers to an account given by people of an event that they have witnessed. The real question is how reliable is an eyewitness testimony? In Ida Fink’s Play “the Table” there are four witnesses with all different testimonies. The testimonies given in the play relates to today’s society in which an eyewitness statement can involve false memories. A false memory refers to the memories that are

    Read More

More about Ida Fink

Open Document