How does Kino change?

Like a
lot of essentially decent people, Kino
becomes corrupted by the prospect of riches. At first,
he's presented as very
simple, a loving family man who works hard for his loved ones. He's also

someone who cares deeply about maintaining the old traditions that have been threatened
and
undermined by centuries of Spanish colonial rule.

Yet
once Kino finds the
valuable pearl, his whole life turns upside-down, and
with it, his personality. As he realizes
that the pearl will bring him
nothing but trouble, Kino loses his innocence, becoming more
cynical and less
trusting of people. He also turns from a peace-loving man into a killer,
albeit
to protect his family from the men who want to cheat him out of the
pearl. The discovery of his
highly-prized, valuable object has seriously
compromised Kino's integrity. And it's only by
throwing the pearl back into
the sea that Kino can once more reconnect with his former

self.