This post may be beneficial for those who are having their SPM this year. Please read on although this may sound familiar. I always have a twist in my posts =)

The Pearl is a short and simple yet meaningful novel written by John Steinbeck. It tells the story of a poor Mexican-Indian man named Kino with his wife Juana and baby Coyotito. Too poor was their living that they lived in a small hut and they wore clothes that has been washed and re-washed uncountable times. Kino earned a living by fishing.

A very ill-fated day came upon them one day when their little baby boy Coyotito was bitten by a scorpion. The doctor wouldn’t come and see Coyotito as he was too proud of a man to go to a home (or rather a hut) of a poor Mexican-Indian. So Kino and Juana brought Coyotito to the doctor’s house but the doctor did not even want to come out to see them for he knew they had no money.

Of fate or by chance we do not know but Kino when out in his boat and came across a large pearl which could fetch a lot of wealth to its bearer. Upon the sight of the huge pearl he “saw” the future on the surface of the pearl. He saw a good life for them; he saw his wife and himself getting married in the church. He saw Coyotito going to school and having an education which he failed to have when he was growing up. He saw his family living a luxurious life. The pearl reflects many things: to Kino it was a better future for his family, to the doctor it was wealth and greed, and to the priest it was help for his church.

The pearl was Kino’s hope. If it is lost or stolen it could mean that Kino’s hope will be gone.

The object of value in this story is the pearl alone. From the beginning till the end it was the pearl that was the centre of attention and attraction. Everyone went to great lengths to have the pearl in their possession. The doctor suddenly became “kind” and took the initiative to come all the way from his luxurious house to Kino’s two-cent worth hut with the “intention” to help Coyotito. The priest’s greediness was he wanted the pearl just so he could help rebuild the church. Kino tried to sell the pearl to the pearl buyers but the pearl buyers tried to cheat Kino.

Kino did all he could to protect his pearl, his hope, his future. But in the end, the pearl caused the death of Kino and Juana’s baby. Coyotito was killed by accident when one of the hunters who were hunting for Kino fired from his rifle. Kino finally decides to throw away the pearl as he was convinced it brought him bad luck and misfortune.

The pearl was hope. And Kino placed all his hope on it but eventually he had to lose it and return to his home carrying the dead body of his one and only child.

One thing that keeps people moving on in life is hope.
A cancer patient who has only days to live lives on hope.
A lame man lives on hope that he will be able to walk again someday.
A beggar lives on hope everyday, hoping for passerby to throw him coins.
An AIDS-infected person has hope that doctors will be able to find a remedy one day.
A father who has worked all his life has hope that his children will be more successful than he is.

What is your hope placed on? Is it placed on something like the pearl which could be lost?
Once our hope is gone, we may not be able to move on. Someone who tells himself he has no hope in his studies will probably not be doing his revision as his SPM draws near. It is because he knows that he has no hope anymore. Whereas someone who knows he has hope to do better will do better. Do you see the difference here?

Hope gives us the will to move on in life.

So where is your hope placed on?

In times of hardship and troubles, where is your hope?

In times of joy and happiness, where is your hope?

In times of confusion and uncertainties, where is your hope?

Place your hope somewhere where you can be assured it will not be lost.

Psalm 130:7
Put your hope in the Lord,
For with the Lord is unfailing love
And with him is full redemption.

The biblical concept of hope is not just mere expectations and desires, but includes confidence.

Hope in God,
Zlwin Chew