In The Pearl, what does the Song of the Family mean to Kino?

Kino views
the Song of the Family as a strength and an inspiration. Essentially, the Song of the Family
incorporates generations of memories inherited from Kino's forebears. To Kino, the Song of the
Family represents safety, wholeness, and warmth. It is the very essence of life to
him.

The Song of the Family also warns against the "savage" and
"dangerous melody" of the Song of Evil; it cries in sorrowful warning before the
scorpion bites Coyotito, and it is sung while the baby fights the effects of the scorpion's
poison. More than anything, the Song of the Family is a song of hope to Kino. As he fills his
basket with oysters, he imagines that the Song of the Pearl That Might Be is embedded as a
"sweet and secret and clinging" counter-melody within the Song of the
Family.

Immediately after he finds the priceless pearl, the Song of the
Family plays in Kino's ear. It reminds him that a great future is in his grasp, but he must be
careful to avoid the wrath of the gods against a man who chooses to be successful through his
own efforts.

In Chapter Six, as Kino creeps up to the trackers, the Song of
the Family is as "fierce and sharp and feline as the snarl of a female puma." It has
become a war-song of sorts, propelling Kino towards a desperate battle for the life of his
besieged family. Then, after Coyotito's terrible death, the Song of the Family leads another
call to battle for Kino. This time, its unrelenting rhythm guides him to the edge of the water,
where he will throw the pearl back into the sea.

So, in the story, the Song
of the Family represents many things to Kino. It is simultaneously a song of hope, peace,
warmth, and wholeness to him. It can likewise serve as a song of warning as well as a song of
gentle wisdom. Essentially, as the text tells us, the song incorporates the complete human
experience, and it embodies all the hopes and fears of those who live by
it.