You must: include the author (allow him control over his work) include at least one direct quote create a fluid paragraph (make certain you stay on topic and all information is necessary) avoid plot summaryġ5 The Pearl Describe the relationship between Kino and Juana throughout the novella. Which is? Is life black and white? Right and wrong? What can be said of colonization? The effects?ġ4 The Pearl Choose one symbol from The Pearl and write a clear, organized paragraph (7-9 sentences). In the end, he returns the pearl to the sea having learned a lesson. It is important that he remains unpunished for this crime (by justice system). Frequently, parables are allegories (stories in which characters, objects, and events hold fixed symbolic meaning). Kino’s song (oral tradition) Kino/Juana/Coyotito (good) The doctor/the dealers/the trackers/Kino? (evil)ġ3 Form The Pearl is a parable (a simple story that relays a moral lesson). This oppression destroys the innocence, piety, and purity of the village.ġ2 Symbols the pearl the scorpion Kino’s canoe Coyotito’s name The dealers take advantage of the villagers. The doctor refuses to help Coyotito because the family has no money.
(the scorpion, the sea, the discovery of the pearl) These forces change the direction of the characters.ġ1 Themes Oppression The novella establishes the social make-up of La Paz.
Kino’s greed leads him to behave violently towards his family and detach from his cultural tradition.ġ0 Themes Fate Kino is an individual. In part, this could be driven by the oppression Kino observes from the dealers and the doctor. A seemingly happy father and husband becomes a murderer for opportunity. The trackers are corrupt men that follow Kino and Juana after they leave the village.ĩ Themes Greed Kino’s desire to provide an education for his son (to better a future generation) drives him to change. They cheat an entire population out of opportunity. The priest is naturally good, but still, he seeks to exploit the fortune of Kino.Ĩ Characters The dealers are well-organized and corrupt. He changes his mind once Kino discovers the pearl. He refuses to help Coyotito after the scorpion sting. She is sympathetic towards Kino and Juana.ħ Characters The doctor dreams of leaving the primitive colonial world and returning to the European lifestyle. He supports Kino, but warns him of the dangers of a poor man possessing the pearl.
The pearl brings Coyotito more harm than good.Ħ Characters Juan Tomás is Kino’s older brother. She follows him towards despair.ĥ Characters Coyotito is Kino and Juana’s only son.Įarly in the novella, he is stung by a scorpion. She is an independent thinker, however, she is completely loyal to Kino. Juana is convinced the pearl is destroying her family.
After Kino finds the pearl, he seeks to break free from tradition to provide an education for his son. Kino has a wife (Juana) and a son (Coyotito). He is a hardworking, impoverished pearl diver. But again what infinite longings you put into them.” The Pearl is a work that dives to the darkest depths of human nature, forcing us to question what we would do if we found ourselves in the same situations.2 Setting La Paz, Mexico on the Pacific coast of the Baja Peninsula
In a 1945 letter to editor Pascal Covici, Steinbeck commented that The Pearl was a parable of “only black and white things and no in between.” Covici responded: “but what rich blacks and dazzling whites…One could also say…it only has three notes – love, hunger, and freedom from greed. Kino and his wife Juana must learn to navigate a world in which they can trust no one except each other. The family patriarch, Kino, comes across an extraordinary pearl – dubbed the “pearl of the world” – but soon realizes that wealth and good fortune do not necessarily walk hand-in-hand. Born of inspiration from a Mexican folk tale, the story focuses on a young family living in an impoverished fishing village. As in East of Eden, the perpetual clash between good and evil beats underneath the plot of The Pearl.