The Pearl

by

John Steinbeck

The pearl-dealers Character Analysis

While the pearl-dealers appear to be individual buyers, each providing estimates independently of one another, they are, in fact, all operating under a single master buyer, who controls their bids and wages. Unbeknownst to Kino’s family or his neighbors, before Kino comes in with the pearl, the buyers have conspired to give him the lowest estimate possible. Their underestimation infuriates Kino, making him feel powerless and cheated, and forces him to go to the capital for a fairer assessment.

The pearl-dealers Quotes in The Pearl

The The Pearl quotes below are all either spoken by The pearl-dealers or refer to The pearl-dealers. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Community Theme Icon
).
Chapter 4 Quotes

But there was no sign, no movement, the face did not change, but the secret hand behind the desk missed in its precision. The coin stumbled over a knuckle and slipped silently into the dealer’s lap.

Related Characters: The pearl-dealers
Related Symbols: The Pearl
Page Number: 47
Explanation and Analysis:
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The pearl-dealers Quotes in The Pearl

The The Pearl quotes below are all either spoken by The pearl-dealers or refer to The pearl-dealers. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Community Theme Icon
).
Chapter 4 Quotes

But there was no sign, no movement, the face did not change, but the secret hand behind the desk missed in its precision. The coin stumbled over a knuckle and slipped silently into the dealer’s lap.

Related Characters: The pearl-dealers
Related Symbols: The Pearl
Page Number: 47
Explanation and Analysis: