The beginning of the novella "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck outlines a day in the life of the people in the Gulf. It is tranquil, idyllic, and, while there are stresses, it is a fairly peaceful and enjoyable way of life. The introduction sets things up in this way because the arrival of the Pearl will radically alter their lives. Kino supposes that an abundance of money will solve their problems, but it turns out that when they find the Pearl, their problems become much more severe than they had been. Their original, idyllic life is shattered by the pursuit of riches and decisions about what to do with it, as well as jealousy and greed. The beginning juxtaposes the peaceful life against what happens later in the story as a result of what will supposedly "fix" their problems.
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