Why are the pearl buyers excited to buy a pearl at the lowest price even if they do not stand to profit
directly from the sale? What does this reveal about human nature?
The narrator explains that it is part of human nature for men to want to do their best, regardless of
the nature of the task. In the same way that Kino wants what is best for his son, the pearl buyers want
to be the best they can be at their job: “The best and happiest pearl buyer was he who bought for the
lowest prices.”