Final answer:
Kino believes the pearl is valuable because it represents hope and opportunity for his family. His experience with societal oppression and his dreams of a better life fuel his conviction in the pearl's worth, contrary to the buyers' undervaluations.
Step-by-step explanation:
Kino, the protagonist in John Steinbeck's The Pearl, believes the pearl is valuable despite the pearl buyers' assertions to the contrary because he perceives its value through his aspirations and hopes for his family's future.
To Kino, the pearl represents a life-changing sum, an opportunity for education for his son, and a break from the cycle of poverty and oppression.
This sentiment is reinforced by his belief that the pearl buyers are attempting to deceive him and pay less than the pearl's true worth because they understand its immense value as well.
Just as people often equate higher price to quality and assume that costly goods or services, such as gemstones, legal representation, or dining experiences, must inherently be of higher quality due to their price, Kino believes the pearl is far more valuable than the price offered to him.
This belief is driven by the pearl's potential to dramatically change his life and by his distrust in the buyers' fairness based on his lived experiences and societal position.
When Kino rejects the buyers' offers, he is not simply turning down a price; he is defending his conviction in the pearl's potential to uplift his family's circumstances.