Steinbeck begins this chapter by describing the town in terms of an animal or as some type of biological organism. In the "Introduction" section, it was noted that one interpretation for this novel is an ecological interpretation, one in which we observe that every part of a complex pattern is related to every other part. As noted elsewhere, Steinbeck had previously made a study of the ecological relations of the living organisms in the Gulf of lower California. In his work The Sea Of Cortez, Steinbeck writes about the activities of schools of fish as an organized group:
The schools swam, marshalled and patrolled. They turned and dived as a unit. In their millions they followed a pattern minute as to direction and depth and speed. There must be some fallacy in our thinking of these fish as individuals. Their functions in the school are in some as yet unknown way as controlled as though the school were one unit.
At the beginning of Chapter 3, Steinbeck also writes that the "town is a thing like a colonial animal." Before Kino reaches home, the news of the discovery of the pearl has spread like the "nerves of the town were pulsing and vibrating with the news." Steinbeck is showing the effect of the discovery of the great pearl upon the life of the entire organism — the town. He then offers the response of the various members of the town: the priest remembers certain repairs on the church that are needed; the doctor announces that Coyotito is a patient of his; the beggars remember that a poor man suddenly invested with a fortune is a generous man; the pearl buyers long to get their hands on this great pearl so they can escape from their positions and make a new start.
