04 - PLOT / SUMMARYKino is a young pearl diver in La Paz. He enjoys his simple life until the day his son, Coyotito, is stung by a scorpion. The town doctor won't treat the baby because Kino can't pay the doctor's fee and the doctor doesn't care for people of Kino's race. Kino and Juana are left only to hope that Coyotito can be saved. That day Kino goes diving, and finds a great pearl, the Pearl of the World, and knows he is suddenly a wealthy man. The word travels quickly about the pearl, and lots of people in the town begin to plot ways to steal it from Kino.Kino looks into the pearl and sees himself marrying Juana in a church, buying a rifle and a harpoon, and sending Coyotito to school so that he can learn to read. Kino believes that an education will free his son from the poverty and ignorance that has oppressed their people for as long as he can remember. The doctor comes to treat Coyotito once he learns of Kino's pearl. Although the baby is healed by Juana sucking out the poison and puttin the sea sick and will die without the care of a doctor. The doctor then manipulates Kino into revealing where he has hidden the great pearl, so Kino moves the pearl when the doctor leaves. That night, an intruder comes into Kino's hut and roots around near the spot where Kino had first buried the pearl. The next day, Kino tries to sell the pearl in town. The pearl buyers have already planned to convince Kino that the great pearl he has found is worth very little because it is too large. They tried to trick him into believing that the pearl was not as perfect as he had thought. This way they can purchase the pearl for a low price. But when the buyers try to cheat Kino, he refuses to sell the pearl and plans to travel to another city to sell at a higher price. Juana warns Kino that the pearl is evil and will destroy his family, but he refuses to throw it away because it is his one chance to provide a different life for his family. That night, Juana takes the pearl and tries to throw it into the sea, but Kino stops her and beats her. On his way back to their hut, Kino is attacked and he kills a man in self-defense. Juana goes to gather their things and escape and finds the floor of their hut completely dug up. While she's inside the hut getting the baby, someone lights it on fire. Kino, Juana, and Coyotito hide with Kino's brother for a day before starting their journey to a new city under the cover of darkness. While they are resting during the day, Kino discovers that there are trackers following them. He knows that they will steal the pearl and kill his family if they catch them. To escape, Kino and Juana take the baby and run to the mountains where they hide in a cave during the night. The trackers camp just below the ridge where they are hiding. Kino sneaks down in the night to kill the trackers, but before he can attack them, Coyotito cries out. The trackers thought it was a coyote and shoot at the dark cave where Juana and Coyotito are hiding. As the shot is fired, Kino springs on the trackers and kills them all. Unfortunately, Coyotito was killed by the first gunshot, and Kino's journey with the pearl ends. Realizing that the pearl is cursed and has destroyed his family (as Juana thought from the very beginning), Kino and Juana return to La Paz and throw the pearl back into the sea. |