War with the Newts

Pearls serve as an important symbol throughout Book 1. As Book 1 documents the history of labor, commerce, and nationalism that led to the war, pearls symbolize the money and greed at the foundation of this event. Captain van Toch only happens upon the newts because of his quest for pearls, and once he engages the newts’ help in gathering pearls, he is able to show Bondy that he has “thousands of pearls of all sizes” (59), which inspires Bondy to invest in greater quests with greater use of newts. In this way, the pearls represent both van Toch and Bondy’s desire for power that quickly paves the road to the enslavement of the newts. A sailor says the captain has “sold his soul [...] I know what those devils are giving him for it. Rubies, pearls, and such-like things” (69). Pearls, or power, are worth enough to sell your soul.

Pearls also symbolize something rare—which also contributes to their symbolism of wealth—since they occur as a response to a random irritant that invades the soft tissue of mollusks and other shelled aquatic animals. In this way the beauty of the pearl can often obscure that it is the result of an animal protecting itself against something injurious.