Published in 1947, Steinbeck"s novella, "The Pearl", has attracted much literary attention. Many critics have referred to the work as a "parable",but how far can this classification be justified? In order to answer this question, we must first establish what is meant by the term "parable". A dictionary defines a parable as "a short story which puts across a moral or religious truth". We know of parables from the Bible, where Jesus told these stories to teach his followers about God"s word.Typical features we would expect from a parable would be: a short narrative told in a simple style with...
.It can be seen as a realistic story of the economic and political repression experienced by native Mexicans at the hands of their wealthy conquerors and rulers. It can also be seen as a story showing how man and nature are intertwined. It can be read as an exciting adventure tale, or as a moral or religious lesson. In many ways, it is unfair to categorise this novella by putting a label on it. I prefer to see it, like Steinbeck himself, as a unique work of art that each reader can interpret in his or her own way.