In The Pearl, Chapter 1, how do Kino and his neighbors feel about the doctor?

Kino and his neighbors are shocked at Juana's insistance that Coyotito must see the doctor. The doctor is unattainable, no one has money to pay him, and the doctor lacks the empathy to treat anyone who's money cannot line his pockets. Her insistance thwarts the reality of their station...... the fact that the villagers are at the mercy of those who see them as less than human.

In essence, Steinbeck uses the doctor who refuses to treat Coyotito as a symbol of the forces of oppression that Kino and Juana face. The doctor represents the societal system that places a monetary value on human life, as well as the obstacles that Kino and Juana face. The racial divide between the doctor and Kino plays a considerable role in his refusal to treat Coyotito; although this aspect of the story is not omnipresent, this presents an additional element of adversity that Kino and Juana must endure.