Kino watches “with the detachment of God” as an ant tries to escape the trap set for it by an ant lion (an insect that preys on ants). The narrator does not say if the ant manages to escape or not, but we see in this event the symbolism of the story, the fate of a human who is trapped while God watches on, not caring or interfering. Like the ant, Kino finds himself in a trap when he finds the pearl that he believes will make his fortune and give him a life that he never even dreamed about before. All around him, the “ant lions” in the forms of the priest, the doctor, and the pearl buyers (as well as the unknown assailant) are trying to drag him down into their trap to consume him. Kino manages to escape from the trap, but not without losing his baby son and his home.
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