True happiness is something that cannot be explained in tangible words. It is something you feel deep down inside of yourself. In the book THE PEARL Kino finds true happiness in the end when he finds out that all the wealth in the world is worth nothing up against his family and throws the pearl back in the water( in pg.89-90.) Do you think that what Kino thought was noble? If so why?
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Tessa Wienss
11/12/2014 12:03:42 am
I believe that John Steinbeck was trying to portray that happiness is not something that wealth can bring you. Happiness is in the simplicity and repetition of life, as Kino found. Had he not been absorbed in the wealth that the pearl may have brought, he would still have Coyotito. I think that he found that wealth wasn't worth the loss and on page 89 it says, "The two seemed to be removed from the human experince." Had Kino gotten rid of the pearl right away, he could still find happiness in his life, but the pearl only brought destruction. True happiness is being enthralled with the life you've been given and wanting nothing less. What examples do you have of wealth destroying someone's life and taking away their happiness?
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Santana Vannarath
11/15/2014 04:48:11 am
I mostly agree with you, Tessa, except for the part where you said, "true happiness is being enthralled with the life you'v been given and wanting nothing less." I disagree with this because sometimes taking what you're given is going to cause the opposite of happiness. For example, if Kino's people forever sat there and dealt with being cheated with, and being considered the "inferior race," nothing would ever change and they would have to live in an oppressed position forever. But, if they fought against their oppressors and wanted to be treated as human, not animal (see page 8 of the PDF), and not settle for anything less, they could eventually achieve happiness.
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Allie
11/12/2014 12:07:51 am
I have been looking at this question for 15 minutes, and I still can't find the words to describe true happiness. True happiness isn't something that you can hold in your hand, it's rather a state of mind, a emotion. It also isn't something you can create, it creates itself. In the Pearl, Kino and Juana finds true happiness in end. When Kino finally figures out that the Pearl did nothing but destroy the true happiness they had before it, he decides that the wealth is nothing compared to his family and finds himself throwing the Pearl back in the water(p.40-41 PDF) Do you think that what Kino did was right? What would you have done?
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Virginia
11/12/2014 02:35:28 am
I think John Steinbeck is saying that true happiness does not come from riches. I think this because Juana was never happy about Kino finding the pearl. An example of this is, "Kino moved sluggishly, arms and legs stirred like those of a crushed bug, and a thick
muttering came from his mouth. Now, in an instant, Juana knew that the old life was gone forever." (P. 29 in the pdf.) This quote supports my thinking because Juana instantly knew that their life was change in a negative way, and that it would never be the same. Another example 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 music of the pearl, distorted and insane." (P. 40 in the pdf.) This quote supports my idea because it shows that Kino finally realized that the pearl was making him happy. If he had never found the pearl, the watchers would have never followed Kino, and they wouldn't have killed Coyotito. Can you think of any other examples of how Kino realized that the pearl was not bringing him happiness?
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Hannah Huber
11/13/2014 11:47:55 am
I think that true happiness depends on how you think of it after you read The Pearl. On page 41 of the PDF, when Kino throws the Pearl into the water, and Juana and him he it hit the water, that showed the most happiness in the book for me. It showed Kino finally letting go of the evil. It did so much for the family, they lost everything because of the Pearl, yet Kino still refused to get rid of it. When he heard it plop in the water, the evil was finally over with and they could start their lives from scratch again. True happiness could be different for a lot of people. It could be wealth, it could be emotion. As long as it makes you happy, it's true happiness. If I were in Kino's position with throwing the Pearl in the water, a million tons would come off my shoulder with the plop of the water. And that was enough for him to be true happiness. What was one time where you felt like a huge weight came off your shoulders?
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Hannah Huber
11/13/2014 11:49:14 am
Again, the IPad
I meant "Juana and him HEAR it"
"It did so much TO the family"
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Isabella
11/13/2014 09:55:19 pm
True happiness is hard to explain, but what I think what John Steinbeck is trying to say is that happiness doesn't come from riches or material things. In the book, Kino realized that to be wealthy doesn't mean to be wealthy with money, but to be wealthy in family and kindness. True happiness can't come from money, even though that's what society says can make people happy.
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Santana Vannarath
11/15/2014 04:38:18 am
According to John Steinbeck, I think that true happiness does not come from wealth. I think this because all of Kino's misfortunes were caused by the finding of the Pearl. His baby was killed, his house was burned down, and he lost everything, including his canoe. In the end, the author even says, "And the pearl was ugly; it was gray, like malignant growth. And Kino heard the music of the pearl, distorted and insane," (Page 40 of the PDF) meaning that this source of wealth that they originally thought would solve all of their problems, has become a monster that put a burden on to their life. But, after they threw the pearl back into the water, all of its evil effects on Kino disappeared. I know this because on page 41 of the PDF, the author says "The music of the pearl drifted to a whisper and disappeared," meaning that the root of all the evil that has happened to Kino has perished. That is why I think that John Steinbeck is trying to say that true happiness does not come from wealth. What do you think is true happiness?
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Samantha
11/16/2014 04:23:53 am
I think that according to John Steinbeck true happiness is the feeling that you get, that can not be put into words. True happiness is something that only applies to yourself. True happiness does not come in any form of atoms and molecules, but it is an intellectual feeling. I think that in The Pearl, an example of true happiness is when they let the Pearl back into the sea on page 41 of the PDF. I think that this is true happiness, because even though they have nothing, it is a feeling that they have I the heart, that makes everything else in the world better. At that moment, all problems assotiated with the Pearl were lifted off their shoulders.
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Samantha
11/16/2014 04:24:54 am
According to the book, what do you think true happiness is?
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Jamie E. Carpenter
11/16/2014 04:39:03 am
You cannot define true happiness, you can only feel it. The Pearl is an extraordinary book and I can see why many consider it a classic. I believe that according to Mr. Steinback, if you were to define true happiness, the closest definition would be realistic satisfaction and or joviality/glee. Throughout the entire book the author is screaming at us that happiness doesn't come from want, or lust after material things, it comes from being with the people you love, doing the things you love, and reveling in the beauty of life. Unfortunately, Kino doesn't realize this until it was too late, and baby Coyotito, the one that caused all the events that happened to Kino and Juana to happen, was killed. On page 40 of the online book it states: "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 pear was ugly; it was gray, like a malignant growth. And Kino heard the music of the Pearl, distorted and insane." This particular passage shows Kino realizing how foolish and jerky he's been to everyone around him. For me, this quote shows Kino finally seeing that happiness is not gained by material things, or want, but by the little things or people that bring us cheerfulness. Don't go looking for happiness, it's all around you. What brings you true happiness?
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Kamryn
11/16/2014 08:10:07 am
Based on the pearl., I believe what John Steinbeck really thinks is true happiness is love and family. Throughout the book Kino shows how much love he has toward his family. Even when the pearl had changed him into a different man, he still found joy in his family that loved and cared for him back. A sentence that shows and example of this is,
"My son will read and open the books, and my son will write and will know writing. And my son will make numbers, and these things will make us free because he will know- he will know and through him we will know."
This sentence is a great example of how even when the pearl had made him a little "big-headed" he still had good intentions for the ones he loved, and not only did this show at this part in the book, but he proceeded to show his love towards his family throughout the story.
What makes you happy?
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Monica Ho
11/16/2014 08:41:20 am
According to John Steinback, I think he was trying to say that true happiness doesn't come from money or how highly others think of you. Happiness is loving something from the moment it starts, from beginning to end. For example, it's like getting a new dog, or something you truly desire, you love it from the moment you lay your eyes upon it, right? I think he was trying to say that true happiness is being true to yourself and not letting anything or anyone in your path to your future, change who you are. True happiness is to not be worried about what is going to happen to your future, but to be satisfied with what you already have. I can relate this to The Pearl because Kino worried that he and his family would die by the trackers. He had plans for his life by using the pearl, but soon these plans turned him into a greedy, bitter man who just wanted more and more. The Pearl costed him his son, he didn't realize what he had until it took what was most important to him. What do you think true happiness is?
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Alyssa Guckenberger
11/16/2014 09:33:58 am
According to John Steinbeck, true happiness doesn't come from wealth. In fact, receiving the pearl caused them to be even more unhappy. For example, as a result of finding the pearl, Kino had hit Juana, his wife. He wouldn't have done that if he didn't have greed over the pearl. When Kino thought somebody had stolen the pearl from him, he killed the man. The feeling of being wealthy caused Kino to turn into a violent person. They expected the pearl to bring them anything they wanted, but instead, it made their life even worse. True happiness doesn't have to come from wealth or gaining something. As long as you are enjoying yourself and are around the people that you love, you can always find happiness. What makes you happy?
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Mia
11/16/2014 10:12:47 am
I could comprehend the book fairly well, yet I still did not see any clues of what John Steinbeck believes true happiness is. However, I did see a lot of clues from John Steinbeck of what he thinks true happiness is not. In the beginning, Steinbeck writes, "And to Kino the secret melody of the maybe pearl broke clear and beautiful, rich and warm and lovely, glowing and gloating and triumphant. In the surface of the great pearl he could see dream forms." Those words, especially the phrase "he could see dreams form" makes me think that maybe wealth isn't all that bad, and I believe that's what the author was trying to do. In the beginning, he made riches seem beautiful. He wove the idea of wealth into a fairytale, at least in the beginning. Towards the end, when he writes, "'I have it,' said Kino. 'And I will keep it. I might have given it as a gift, but now it is my misfortune and my life and I will keep it.' His eyes were hard and cruel and bitter," this makes me think of how much the wealth has changed Kino. It changed him so much that it turned him into a bitter, cruel, hard man. Obviously towards the end when he was supposedly a "wealthy man", he was not as happy opposed to the beginning when he was not a wealthy man, but a happy man, and was just dabbling in the idea of riches. And I think that is what John Steinbeck's message was throughout the story. I don't think he wanted to express what his idea of "true happiness" was, because that is different to every person, but rather what true happiness is not. What does "true happiness" mean to you?
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Ashley
11/16/2014 10:14:05 am
After reading The Pearl, I learned that according to John Steinbeck true happiness can not come from wealth. True happiness is more of a feeling or an emotion you feel when you experience inner gratitude with in yourself. For example when Kino decided to throw the pearl back into the water so he could protect his family (p. 41-pdf). Also, I think John Steinbeck believes happiness can come from your family. This is because Kino chooses his family being safe over wealth and having the pearl. He knew that was the correct decision and that he was not feeling true happiness when having the pearl. What truly makes you happy?
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Ava
11/16/2014 08:09:10 pm
Steinbeck was trying to show that money has nominvolvment with happiness. You can be the happiest person in ththe world and also be the poorest. I think this fits in. Dry well with the discussion we've had lately. I think it's alos a decent moral to be taught. An example from the text is when Kino throws the pearl back in the water, as h realizes he has his family. And that is all he needs. Do u agree? Why?
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Sydney Whitehurst
11/17/2014 10:19:07 pm
I believe that Steinbeck did not set a "true happiness," he did only rule out money. After reading I understand his point of view, the way that money cannot change whether someone is happy or not. Do you think he set a "true happiness"?
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Abby Barrett
11/18/2014 10:13:26 am
I believe that the author is trying to illustrate that true happiness is family and the corruption of money can break your family. Kink started the story with no money and was still happy, he loved his family and the life that was laced out for him. When he finds the Pearl he immediately thins about how the Pearl can help his family (his child going to school , him and his wife getting married) but as the story progresses, it becomes clear that family is not the most important thing to him anymore by the way be nearly kills his wife and kills another guy for trying to take his Pearl which, in the long run, put his family in server danger even killing his baby. By the he end Kino can clearly see the Pearl is evil by this quote from the second to last page of the book " Evil faces peeredfrom it into his eyes, and he saw the light of burning" this shows that Kink truly believes that the Pearl is evil and has ruined his family
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Abby Barrett
11/18/2014 10:14:37 am
How do you think the story would change if the baby never got stung by the scorpion?
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Esmeralda
11/20/2014 02:32:22 pm
According to John Steinbech true happiness is to enjoy the moments with the people you care about, in this story in was Kino and his family. At the beginning of the story Kino describes every little detail with admiration and sees beauty in everything he describes, "Her dark eyes made little reflected stars. She was looking at him as she was always looking at him when he awakened." Kino was poor, but in his heart the world was his oyster, " It was a morning like other mornings and yet perfect among other mornings," Kino described his day before eating the same old corncakes, not caring for the future but was enjoying the present with his family. That changed however that changed quickly when Kino obtained the Pearl and all his energy was used on it. "His eyes were entranced, and he could the wary, watchful evil outside the brush house; he could feel the dark creeping things waiting for him to go out into the night." Kino's goal just turned to an compulsive obsession that got in the way of his family (his true happiness). And in the end it destroyed his family.
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Esmeralda
11/20/2014 02:34:09 pm
What is your true happiness?
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Megan Kuhs
11/30/2014 03:05:21 am
I believe that John Steinbeck was implying that true happiness is different to many people. For example, he mentioned that the doctor's happiness has come from the times when he was with his wife on vacation. Yet he also is stating that Kino's happiness was the simplicity of his life when Coyotito was heathy and Juana and his relationship was strong. So, in conclusion I believe leave that John Steinbeck's idea of happiness is different for different characters in The Pearl.
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Amber
12/4/2014 02:18:40 am
I believe that johns definition of happiness is enjoying the little things in life. For example, his family was happy And fine before the pearl, and once he got the pearl Kino got violent and greedy, and things weren't as good as they were before.
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