Essay, Research Paper: The End Is Near

Between the worlds of film and literature are many similarities, the least of
which is the need for ample closure/ conclusion. Any work which doesn't end
in a satisfying way either leaves the reader wanting more, or leaves the reader
infuriated. Both the film "The Doctor" and the book "The Pearl" by John
Steinbeck have strong endings, fitting to their respective stories. If a story is
meant to teach a lesson, then its ending must be one that the reader or viewer
must remember.

In the story, "The Pearl", the conclusion brought forth a time of
reckoning, a period for Juana and Kino to re-find what it was that he had
forgotten about. Kino's obsession with money and greed forces him into an
ill-planned attack. When one of his would-be assailants fires off a final shot
at what he thinks is a coyote, It strikes Coyotito in the head, killing him. If
Kino hadn't tried attacking the trackers, he may have been killed but his wife
and child would have been spared. This shows to Kino and the reader that
greed and selfishness will get them nowhere. Now Kino and Juana live, but
their family is one smaller, a void which fame and riches can't fill. "The
Pearl" needed to end in at least one of Kino's family dying, if not himself, to
get the lesson across, the lesson that material possesions may come and go
with little loss, but if you let a possesion change you, it will take hold of your
life.

"The Doctor" ended in a similar way, but Jack was able to spare his
family, and even improve the relationship between him and his wife. From
the start of the movie, we know that Jack's relationship with his family is not
so great. When his wife calls their son down to say "hi"