How Kino becomes tough from Chapter 5

In Chapter Five, Kino becomes hardened. It's no longer about the family, per se, but about the pearl. The pearl and what it can afford him has taken over life. Juana, threatened by the changes in her husband, attempts to throw the pearl back into the ocean. He strikes the woman he loves for her perceived portrayal.

Chapter Five also finds Kino, the pearl diver, capable of murder. The murder forces his family into hiding and on the road. When advised by his brother, Kino says that he will never part with the pearl. He says, "if I give it up I shall lose my soul."