The Pearl Essay Can materialism corrupt and destroy? In the novel The Pearl, Stienbeck shows how materialism can corrupt and destroy. For example, Kino hitting his wife Jauna, the doctor poisons the baby and the jewelers trying to cheat Kino out of money. Materialism corrupts and destroys. In the beginning of the story Kino and Jauna had a normal relationship. When they found the pearl, things started happening. A lot of bad things started to happen, for example, someone came into their hut and tried to take the pearl. Jauna got sick of everything and wanted to throw the pearl back in the sea. Kino heard her get up and he chased her and beat her. When the scorpion stung the baby, Jauna trie