Steinbeck stories with similar themes (the plight of the poor, greed) and in which nature plays a similarly important role include Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, Tortilla Flats and Cannery Row.
The Fleming and John song "The Pearl" is based on this story. See the activity in Day 4 based on this song.
Consider Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, a text with similar imagery and motifs, on the surface, and deeper connections to themes of poverty, pursuance, and objects of singular value.