What are the pearl buyers attempting to do to Kino by making their low offers?

Question

This is about the book The Pearl by John Steinbeck.

Answer 1

By trying to make Kino believe that his pearl is”too big” or almost freakish, they are downplaying it’s worth. They try to make him believe that by taking it from him, they will be burdened themselves trying to find a buyer simply because they believe Kino to be so simple minded that he will not realize the true value of the pearl, and they will not have to actually pay him what the jem is actually Worth. In layman’s terms, they’re trying to lowball him. And, as we all know, everyone’s greed, including Keeno’s, leads to the ultimate tragedy in this novel.