An analysis on symbolism In John Steinbecks The Pearl

ABSTRACT

English has some values namely intrinsic and extrinsic. From these advantages reading literary works can broaden the reader’s general knowledge and get entertainment also. In The Pearl Steinbeck uses many symbols in which the readers are free to interpret. This study is aimed at finding symbolism and analyzing the sociological aspects in The Pearl.

Steinbeck is one of the writers that has those characteristics and with many ways of telling the story without losing the main purpose of literary works to give values or something worthy to the readers. In The Pearl, he uses simple language so that it is easy to understand. Even though his literary works are written in simple language, it does not mean that The Pearl is a shallow work.

The Pearl presents a good illustration of how human beings experience their conflict and manage their motivation. It also portrays the complexity of human personality’s traits. Through The Pearl the readers can learn and understand some social problems and social structures that may possibly exist in social life.

In analyzing this novel, the writer employs descriptive qualitative research; because the data could not be treated with statistical procedures or data that found are in the form of sentences, phrase, words and not numbers. The writer also uses descriptive research, because it describes certain condition, nature of an object phenomenon of the study. Moreover, the result of this study was description of symbolism that found in The Pearl.

In the story, it is implied how the human wishes are in vanity. Life is actually a simple thing and so is the happiness. The vanity of human wishes, passions, hopes and dreams are actually the causes of the pains, sorrows and even the destruction of human life itself.

The Pearl gives an understanding that in this life there will always be found an endless conflict between two opposite forces namely the innocent and the evil world. Through the fight of these two different forces presented in The Pearl, the readers can take the moral massages of the story.