Purgatory-Any condition or place of temporary suffering or punishment. Kino's people were
happy and peaceful people. The ways that were supposedly better than the old ways changed
Kino and his people's lives forever. Not black or white, but black and white. A heaven, a
purgatory, and a hell, thrust into their lives, with no just "good" anymore.
Hell. The root of all evil. A thing that Kino thought to be fine, only because it was a
thing that he did not know and could not recognize. When Kino found the pearl, hell started to
creep up on him and the village, that's what caused all of the problems. At the beginning of the
book says that as all tales that have been retold from peoples hearts, there are only good and bad
things, black and white things, good and evil things, and no in between things. "The torn flesh
of the knuckles was turned grayish white by the sea water." (Page 20) When Kino was looking
at the pearl his torn flesh was turned gray, not black, and not white, but gray. Before Kino was a
good man, the pearl's evilness and Kino's goodness collided to make one color, one soul, and
one man. The pearl caused many evil things to happen, Coyotito died, Kino lost his canoe, he
lost his friends, and gained many enemies. Of course Kino having to find the pearl was the fault
of the doctor and his culture. The greediness of his culture. Yet through all of this, there was
still good in Kino heart and soul , that's why his hand turned grayish-white, because there is not
good or evil in everything, but good and evil in everything. Great suffering would come to Kino,
temporary suffering that would end tragically. But for the best.
The village, the place that Kino had grown up, where he had met Juana and raised a
family, and where the pearl reared it's evil and caused great suffering to Kino and his family.
Only one step in the system brought to Kino's people. Hell, then Purgatory, then heaven. The
village and it's surroundings had turned into purgatory. The once peaceful village was filled
with greed, selfishness, and anger. After the doctor turned Kino and Juana away because he had
no money, he said that they were his patients after he found out that they had the "great" pearl.
"The news came to the doctor where he sat with a woman whose illness was age, though neither
she nor the doctor would admit it. And when it was made plain who Kino was, the doctor grew
stern and judicious at the same time. "He is a client of mine", the doctor said." (Page 22) It
wasn't only the doctor who was greedy and wanted the pearl. "The news came early to the
beggars in front of the church, and it made them giggle a little with pleasure, for they knew that
there is no almsgiver in the world like a poor man who is suddenly lucky." (Page 22) This came
from the same beggars that stood by Kino when Juana and him went to the doctors house to get
treatment for Coyotito's scorpion sting. They knew the ignorance of the doctor, and of his sins,
that's why they stood by Kino. They turned out just like him, only wanting money and not
wanting Kino for himself. Even though they are beggars and need the money, Kino and Juana
weren't like the beggars anymore. At first they passed them off as poverty people, one of their
own, but now they just passed them off as rich people that would give a lot. The town had a lot
of good things but also had bad things. Again, black and white, not black or white. Purgatory -
Any condition or place of temporary suffering or punishment. This is what Kino's village was.
In between heaven and hell. A deciding place if you will. These sort of concepts were thrust
upon Kino and his village against their will. It was because of this culture change that Kino
needed to find the pearl to pay the doctor. If this new culture would never have come to Kino
Coyotito would still be alive and well and Kino's culture wouldn't have to put up with the
torment of the settlers. They could live in peace again.
Heaven. The last step in the book. This came in the mountains although it really doesn't
seem like it. Kino and Juana fled through the mountains to escape the trackers that were after
them. The left their village because in the night Kino had been attacked and had killed a man.
The pearl had almost turned Kino into an animal. Kino hid Juana and Coyotito in a crevice in
the of the mountain. He was reaching towards god even though he didn't know what he was
reaching for. He was getting higher by going into the mountains but still higher bringing Juana
and Coyotito to high ground. "Kino was in mid-leap when the gun crashed and the barrel-flash
made a picture on his eyes. The great knife swung and crunched hollowly. It bit through neck
and deep into chest, and Kino was a terrible machine now." (Page 86) Then it was over. In a
few seconds Kino lost his son, and three other people. How can this be heaven? This isn't. This
is an imaginary place brought to Kino by the settlers. They made Kino come up here, it started
with the doctor and the finding of the pearl. The settlers culture made Kino take their religion,
much like their violence and their hatred. However if their is a heaven in this book, this is it.
Not in the town and not in the sea, but the mountains. The place where they lost their son. Kino
and Juana also gained a lot. They appreciated what they had more. They found out that the
pearl was evil and that all it did was destroyed peoples lives. They didn't mourn Coyotito's
death. They were glad that it was over with and they knew what they had to do. Only now could
they go back to living their life the way that they did before. Where there is just a good, and just
an in-between. And no black or white but white and black.
The ways that were supposedly better than the old ways changed Kino and his people's
lives forever. Change isn't necessarily good, black and white make no difference, All of our
lives are gray, and that's the way it should be