Juana’s character analytic in the novel The Pearl | Dimas Prasetyo

Juana’s character analytic in the novel The Pearl

Juana, one of the major characters in The Pearl, is the wife of Kino who appear always with her husband along the story. She is more educated, religious, and practically than Kino. We can see that she was religious when her son, coyotito, was stung by scorpion. At that time, she kept silent than used her emotion to kill the scorpion. She made a prayer and give her son’s destiny to the god although Kino want to save his son by killing the scorpion, at the result, gave bad impact for Coyotito. Furthermore, she was also more educated than kino by being the first person who realized to call a doctor for her son, in the meantime, Kino didn’t know what he had to do. It can be seen at following Quotation.
Kino had wondered often at the iron in his patient, fragile wife. She, who was obedient and respectful and cheerful and patient, could bear physical pain with hardly a cry. She could stand fatigue and hunger almost better than Kino himself. In the canoe she was like a strong man. And now she did a most surprising thing.
“The doctor,” she said. “Go to get the doctor.”
The word was passed out among the neighbors where they stood close-packed in the little yard behind the brush fence. And they repeated among themselves, “Juana wants the doctor.” (chapter 1).

Practically, Juana is also more knowledgeable than Kino who just know how to fishing and taking pearl. At the beac Juana has the precence of mind to salve Coyotito’s wound with a seaweed poultice. Juana shows her initiative without mocking her husband. “He was quiet now, but the swelling on his shoulder had continued up his neck and under his ear and his face was puffed and feverish. Juana went to the water and waded in. She gathered some brown seaweed and made a flat damp poultice of it, and this she applied to the baby’s swollen shoulder, which was as good a remedy as any and probably better than the doctor could have done.” (Chapter 1).
As a woman and wife, she also has a strong feeling against the bad influence of the pearl to her husband. She ask Kino to through away the pearl, cause she believes it will bring misery to them. “This thing is evil,” she cried harshly. “This pearl is like a sin! It will destroy us,” and her voice rose shrilly. “Throw it away, Kino. Let us break it between stones. Let us bury it and forget the place. Let us throw it back into the sea. It has brought evil. Kino, my husband, it will destroy us.”(Chapter 2). However, we can call Juana as obidien wife as well. When she protest something to her husband, eventually, she will obey it if her husband can give reasonable argument. “Hush,” said Kino. “Do not speak any more. In the morning we will sell the pearl, and then the evil will be gone, and only the good remain. Now hush, my wife.”(chapter 2).
Moreover, we could also see that Juana is a faithfull wife. When Kino asked her to hide instead of running away with him, Juana refused it and chose to be with him.

She looked full into his eyes for a moment. “No,” she said. “We go with you.”
“I can go faster alone,” he said harshly. “You will put the little one in more danger if you go with me.”
“No,” said Juana.
“You must. It is the wise thing and it is my wish,” he said.
“No,” said Juana.
He looked then for weakness in her face, for fear or irresolution, and there was none. Her
eyes were very bright. He shrugged his shoulders helplessly then, but he had taken strength from her.(Chapter 6).

In the story, Juana’s function is as a supporting character. She support the story by her role as Kino’s wife. As a wife, she balances out the Kino’s rule as husband. Juana and kino atitude are completing each other. Kino who is more tempramental and quick mind, is equalized by Juana who is very patient and more educated. At the beginning, Juana’s life with her family runs very well, but something happens with her son, Coyotito, which change everything. At the morning where anything occur as usual, coyotito is stung by scorpion, and it will be the beginning of the comflict. After kino found the great pearl, Juana is the first person who has bad presentiment about it. She thought the pearl will bring the evil impact to them. Furthermore, Juana tried changing the plot by trowing away the pearl from her family, but Kino didn’t agree with the idea.
“The late moon arose before the first rooster crowed. Kino opened his eyes in the darkness, for he sensed movement near him, but he did not move. Only his eyes searched the darkness, and in the pale light of the moon that crept through the holes in the brush house Kino saw Juana arise silently from beside him. He saw her move toward the fireplace. So carefully did she work that he heard only the lightest sound when she moved the fireplace stone. And then like a shadow she glided toward the door. She paused for a moment beside the hanging box where Coyotito lay, then for a second she was black in the doorway, and then she was gone.
And rage surged in Kino. He rolled up to his feet and followed her as silently as she had gone, and he could hear her quick footsteps going toward the shore. Quietly he tracked
her, and his brain was red with anger. She burst clear out of the brush line and stumbled over the little boulders toward the water, and then she heard him coming and she broke into a run. Her arm was up to throw when he leaped at her and caught her arm and wrenched the pearl from her. He struck her in the face with his clenched fist and she fell
among the boulders, and he kicked her in the side. In the pale light he could see the little waves break over her, and her skirt floated about and clung to her legs as the water receded.”(Chapter 3).
Although Kino hurt her, she still obey to Kino as her husband, and understand that what Kino has done is just the effect of the evil pearl. The loyality of Juana is proven further when she decide to follow Kino after killing a thief. Finally, Juana lost her baby, and the story ended.
Overall, we can conclude Juana which has meaning a woman, is a parable of strong woman. Juana shows the ideal kind of wife on her culture. She is strong for finding the pearl, but so gentle when treating her family. The characterization also shows the gender inequality. The poction of man in family is toodominant, and a woman has to obey whatever the husband’s commands. Moreover, we can see that marriage and family is very important for a woman at that time. However the condition of her husband, woman has to be faithful and folow him wherever he goes. In other words, we can say that woman cannot live without man. In contrary, Jana character can be assumed as the irony of situation in the story. A woman who is supposed to be weak and uneducated at that time, cannot be seen at Juana. She is a strong woman and even more educated and patient than her husband. The juana character itself also tell us, especially women kind, to not always obey all commands of her husband. Be a partner, not a servan for the husband. It was proven at the story, if Juana forced her husband to trew away the pearl, their baby is possible still live at the end of story. In conclusion, Juana is the parable of a great and ideal woman.

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