"Every person has the right to take care of themselves. He always did."

In my opinion, in certain situations it is important to take care of yourself first. But in other situations it is more important take care of others before yourself. Some people were raised to put others first, in every situation, and other people were raised to put themselves, in every situation. I was raised to put others first in as many situations as possible, and put yourself first when it is the right thing or the safer thing to do. Some people interpret putting others first as doing nothing for yourself and devoting yourself to helping the poor, or just helping others. But that would be going to extremes, which some people do, but plainly helping someone when they are in need of help is perfectly fine in my opinion. And it is true, every person has a right to take care of themselves.

Scrooges Diary December 24, 1843

Merry Christmas! Those are the words they say and I am forced to hear. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Bah Humbug! Being merry is something you choose to be, there should not be a time of year when you are expected to be merry. No one, I repeat, no one can expect me to be merry this dreadful time of year. Not even my own nephew who dares to lay the words Merry Christmas upon me every year. I shun all you jovial people, especially those of you who tell me to have a Merry Christmas! Bah Humbug! Those of us who work for our money, especially me, should be left alone. I don't need people telling me to give to the poor, I work for my money, I deserve to keep it! To save it and not give it away! They do not deserve my hard earned money! Shun you! Shun you all you merry and jovial people!

Symbolism in the Novel

What we learn about the pearl's symbolism from the reactions it evokes is that it is starting to symbolise nervousness, loss of confidence, and a feeling of worry and suspicion. In Kino the pearl brought out loss of confidence and defensiveness because when the pearl buyers were looking at Kino's pearl they were criticizing, which made Kino become offensive because he thought the pearl was worth much more than the suggested it was. In Juana the pearl is brought out worry and suspicion because when suddenly several bad things started happening to Kino and the rest of the family, she started becoming worried about her family and suspicious of the pearl and thinking of it as an evil thing instead of a great thing that happened to her family. In the family's neighbors the pearl brought out a bit of jealousy and a lot of interest and also some suspicion because the neighbors were always talking about the pearl what they would do if they had found it and hoping the pearl doesn't destroy the families good natured ways. In the doctor the pearl brought out only greed because the doctor only treated the family so good because of their sudden wealth. In the priest the pearl brought out disapproval because he did not want Kino and his brother to have an agent bring the pearl to the capital and only take his share of the profit because that method of getting more money out of the pearl is against religion. And last, in the townspeople the pearl brought out much curiosity and wonder of what the family will do with all the money they might get from the pearl. The pearl also brought out worry for the family because the townspeople were worried that the pearl might destroy the family's good natured ways.