This informative volume examines John Steinbeck's life and work, with a specific look at key ideas related to The Pearl. The book discusses a variety of topics, including whether Kino chooses enslavement to wealth in order to escape poverty, and whether the townspeople have a parasitic relationship with the poor. The book also explores contemporary perspectives on poverty, such as the changing views of the term "e;culture of poverty"e; and the relationship between Western materialism and spiritual depression.