I think what John Steinbeck was trying to show to us is that you don't need money or valuable possessions. In the case of his parable, it actually showed that these things can make your life worse. "The canoe of his grandfather, plastered over and over, had a splintered hole broken in it." (62) "Kino could see that the house was gone, and he did not question Juana." (63) These pieces of evidence show that Kino's life actually got significantly harder. In the beginning of the story, he says that his boat is like his lifeline, and it was destroyed. His home, where he lives and eats and sleeps, is destroyed. I think that not having these things makes you appreciate the very little that someone can have.
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Emily
12/1/2014 04:12:55 am
What makes you truly happy in your life?
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kyleigh
11/20/2014 05:38:26 am
I think true happiness is having your family care, love, and embrasse your personality, amd own self no matter what you do, or have done in your past, but it is also knowing manners, whats right, and whats wrong, and being respectful to your peers. "Juana laid Coyotito on the blanket, and she placed her shaw over him so that the hot sun could not shine on him."(9). By Juana doing this to Coyotito she is caring for him by putting the blanket over him so the hot sun is not shining in his eyes. According to Jhon Steinbeck true happyness to him is not having all the money in the world but having things in your life that you can not pay for like love, silence, peace, your personality, and true happiness. In the SIFTT poem Steinbeck explains that things that you can not buy are more important than things that you can buy. I think that this is true. For example if someone were to buy their personality it would not be special to them because, they bought it instead of being their own personality like everyone else is like. What is true happiness to you in your life?
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Erika
11/24/2014 04:28:30 am
i think he's saying that true happiness is based on memories and items that are given to you by someone special and not by money
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Katlyn
12/1/2014 04:27:27 am
According to John Stienbeck, who wrote The Pearl, true happiness is family, trust, and care. "Juana laid Coyotito on the blanket, and she placed her shaw over him so that the sun could not shine on him." (9) I think this piece of evidence shows care for her family and respect. In the beginning of the book Kino was happy to help people out but in the end he just cared about himself. He became miserable and greedy when he found the pearl. So in conclusion I think true happiness is not "forced" apond someone, its what people do around you, and what you do around people. Do you think my statement is true? If not, why?
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Shelby
12/1/2014 04:30:33 am
The author of The Pearl, John Steinbeck appears to show that true happiness is family and not money. The evidence I have found to support my supposition is, "Kino stood and looked up to the cave. Something was wrong. The insects were silent now. Kino listened. He knew the sound. He knew the long, rising cry from the little cave in the side of the mountain. He knew it was Juana's voice. The sound was the cry of death." (Page 67) This paragraph in the book shows that someone in the cave has died from hiding. This evidence I have chosen is saying that Kino, Juana, and their little boy Coyotito, were hiding in the cave from these trackers trying to find them from their town and one of the trackers had shot up into the cave and shot Coyotito. Meanwhile, Kino had killed the trackers and that's when he heard Juana after all was silent. The pearl had brought them away from town and caused Kino to kill a couple men. However, in the beginning they were a happy family without the money the pearl may have had. Do you think this is true?
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Dulce
12/1/2014 04:33:04 am
According to John Steinbeck, who wrote The Pearl, true happiness is having your family by your side, not money. "In Kino's ears the Song of the Family was as fierce as a cry." (40) This evidence reveals that Kino realized that he was blinded by the money, after Coyotito was killed. He was the most happy when he had his family, and though he thought the pearl would help him all it brought him was bad luck to him and his family. What would you have done with the pearl?
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tim k.
12/1/2014 04:34:02 am
I believe true happiness can only be achieved through love, kindness, not money. Even if money is sought to be used for good but, many bad people who seek money will spread corruption. To prove this " It will destroy us all, Juana cried even our son". This phrase was stated after kino was attacked in an attempt to steal the pearl, it shows that the pearl is creating a beacon for greedy people and caused him to get attacked. Juana know it would corrupt him and said this to try and prevent him from selling it. What have people tried to take from you.
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Ivan
12/1/2014 07:31:50 am
According to John Steinbeck, who wrote The Pearl, true happiness is having friends and family. I think that because on page 11 it shows that the doctor, that has no family and friends, is really mean and greedy. The helper of the doctor told hi that there is an Indian family with a little baby that got bit by a scorpion, and the doctor asked if they had money and they didn't so he said no to them. He said no because he was greedy and just wanted money when people needed help. What do you think true happiness really is?
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Eduardo
12/2/2014 04:01:57 am
After I read the pearl the author, John Stienbeck who wrote the pearl says that true happiness is. Not how rich or famous you are. It's about having family and friends to support and love you throughout your life. The text shows on page three "the rhythm of the family song..." This shows that even in the beginning of the book that it was already very centered around the thought of family, because the family song symbolized happiness and drive in Kino.
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Carlos
12/2/2014 04:03:39 am
I think real happyness is passing time with my family because you have love and because there's always somebody that cares about you and that loves you. I don't think money makes you somebody happy because at first, you can gang a lot of enemies. You would know what is selfish. Money makes you a bad person, Im not saying that money is bad, I'm saying that money could change people."the pearl is bad, it will destroy us pg.(28) This shows that money or value things could not buy happiness, it change people in a bad way.
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Indira
12/2/2014 04:04:28 am
Indira
According to John Steinbeck , who wrote the pearl , true happiness is some one getting something valuable that can change a person life forever weather it's good or bad."if a man had a canoe he did not need to fear hunger".(9) "Inside Kino saw something shining , and then the shell shut quickly ".This evidence reveals that you can have something or find something that my change your life forever. Have you ever found something that have may helped you or may have changed your life forever. How did that effect you eviorment.
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Ellie
12/2/2014 04:04:28 am
In the pearl, I think that John Steinbecks main idea to give his readers his view point on the theme weather or not money could buy happiness. And of course everyone will have their own opinion, if money does or not. But in the story i think he was trying to just set a point that even though it might seem as if it does, but not everything in life revolves around money, especially happiness. To me it's like of course money could bring happiness to anyone, but the happiness won't be garaunteed 100% of all time but that's in all situations, not just involving money. And I don't really think anyone could say it doesn't buy happiness or that it does, it's almost like in the middle. There are certain things money can and cannot buy, for example in the book kino names things that the pearl could do for him and his family, "we will be married--in the church", "we will have new clothes", "my son will go to school", ect. Those are just SOME of the things money could buy, that I think we should all be grateful for, also the roof over our head, career, transportation and food we eat, we would have any of that with out money. On the other hand money can not buy us true friends or true family. But really everyone will have different opinions on money and happiness. What's yours?
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Joel
12/2/2014 04:06:25 am
What is true happiness?
According to John Steinbeck,who wrote the pearl,true happiness is when you have everything you need and nothing else, not stuff you don't need. "Kino is starting to lose his friends"(pg.37). "My friends are trying to take the pearl away and keep it for their selves"(pg41).
This evidence reveals that not everyone has true happiness and that some people try to take away other people's true happiness so that they can have their own true happiness so they don't have to get it on their own. I wonder what Kino would have done with the pearl if he had kept it for himself rather then getting rid of it?
i agree, money doesnt create happiness it takes it away by getting obsesed with being rich.
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Graciela
12/2/2014 04:10:48 am
According to John Steinback true happiness doesn't come from riches. I believe this because Juana was never satisfied about Kino finding/having the pearl. Evidence I found on page 40 is "and in the surface of the pearl he saw Coyotito lying in the little cave with the top of his head shot away. And the pearl was ugly; it was gray like a malignant growth. And kino heard the the music of the pearl,distorted and insane." This quote supports u idea because it tells you that Kino realized how jerky he was around everyone. It also shows that happiness isn't about having all these things and wanting more and more. The pearl got him greedy, but he realized happeniess is the love of his family or people that make him happy. How do you define true happiness.
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Graciela
12/2/2014 08:25:30 am
? At the very end
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Jon
12/2/2014 04:12:30 am
I think true happiness is being with family and friends because they are people and u can care for people witch makes us fell happy
Cause on page 28 "the pearl is bad it will destroyed us" that proves that caring about none animate objects can be bad some times cause kino cared about the prelate a lot.
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Jon
12/2/2014 04:15:53 am
(Add on) how do u define true happenis Replie in the comments below
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Jon
12/2/2014 04:16:55 am
Preal*. Not prelate
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Melissa
12/2/2014 04:14:58 am
According to John Steinbeck, who wrote The Pearl, true happiness is what you already have because, when Kino didn't have the pearl yet, he was happy and normal. But when the Pearl came, it changed the way Kino thinks, and does. He kept wishing on things that he wanted non stop. "We will be married-in the church."(24), "We will have new clothes."(24), "Perhaps a rifle."(25), "My son will go to school."(25) are just some examples. But as time goes, Juana starts noticing that the pear is bringing bad luck because she said, "Kino, this pearl is evil!"(56).
So they end up throwing the Pearl away. They threw away something that they didn't have at the beginning. That's why I think true happiness is what you already have.
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Ben
12/2/2014 04:18:35 am
John Steinbeck tried to make people think that true happiness is something that comes from your family and friends. I think this because in the book Juana tried to get rid of the Pearl for him; "She burst clear out of the brush line and stumbled over little boulders toward the water" (58). This shows that Juana knows that the Pearl is making him not happy and turning him into a worse person, and how the Pearl is not his thing in life that truly makes him happy. He hits her in his anger and even though Juana was doing the right thing, "Juana," he said, "I will go on and you will hide. I will lead them into the mountains, and when the have gone you will go north..." (77) That shows how much Kino really loves his wife sacrificing himself to save her and Coyotito, their baby. This is when John Steinbeck makes the reader realize that family is what true happiness really is. He just wants his family to be safe and even if they catch him he will be happy because his family is safe. Now, what is true happiness to you and why?
Happiness doesn’t come from money it comes from a loving family or special girl/boy.
“Kino and juana were both happy” coyotito was fed and put to sleep while juana and kino ate their breakfest too. Kino listened to the beach waves like it was music in the morning. Juana comferted coyotito as he slept. This explains happiness because this is what every family needs: care, love, sleep, and a mother and father.
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Erika
12/2/2014 04:33:12 am
According to John Steinbeck, true happiness is having your family with you and you don't need expensive things to be truly happy. For example, kino wanted to be married in a church but it didn't happen and Juana got beaten by kino because she wanted to sell the pearl, coyotito would learn to read and write but instead he had a swollen neck from a scorpion bite." we will be married in a great church and in the pearl he saw Juana with her beaten face crawling home through the night, our son must learn to read, he said frantically and in the pearl coyotito's face, thick, and feverish from the medicine."(71)This shows that everything kino wanted was the other way around, nothing made him happy because he didn't get new things and his dreams never came. According to John Steinbeck, true happiness is having your family with you and you don't need expensive things to be truly happy. What do you think true happiness is?
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Connor McClung
12/9/2014 04:21:43 am
According to John Seinbeck true happiness is when you really enjoy something. Like if you win the lottery. You get really exited that you got the money just like the pearl. "they got greedy once they got the money". That is a sign of true happiness.
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Junior
12/17/2014 03:56:13 am
john Steinbeck wrote the book the perl and he wanted to show that if you get a lot of money that it can change people like kino. When he found the Pearl he wanted to do so many things with it. "They got greedy once they got the money" that is a sign f true happiness
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Gio
1/5/2015 11:40:05 am
I think true happiness is Being with your friends and family and caring for them in otherwords being with your love ones. Becuase at the biggining coyotito gets bit by a scorpion and they ask for help to the doctor but since he dirent have family he was greedy and cared only about him self(11). "Junna laid Coyotito on the blanket, and she placed her shaw over him so that the sun could not shine on him. I think that this shows that she cares about them and doesn't want him to get hurt. Because shes caring for him by proctecting coyotito.(9) So I think that true happiness is being with your love ones. What is your true happiness?
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