S e ko l a h M e n e n g a h Ke b a n g g s a a n

Ku l i m

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NAME: Akashah bin Osman

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 THE PEARL
BY
JOHN STEINBECK

Intro
About
Proceed to Main
 Intr
 The Pearl (1947) is somewhat of a departure from some of his earlier works. The novel

o
has been compared to Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea (1952). The seeds
of Steinbeck's The Pearl began to germinate in 1940 when he was traveling in the Sea of
Cortez and heard a story about a young man who found a large pearl. From that basic
outline, Steinbeck reinvented the tale of Kino and his young family to include his own
experiences, including in his novel the recent birth of a son, and how that exhilaration
affects a young man. The novel is also, in some ways, a representation of his long
appreciation of Mexican culture. He made the story into a parable, warning his readers
of the corrupting influences of wealth.

In The Pearl, Kino's neighbors all knew what good fortune could do to him, his wife, and
his new baby boy. "That good wife Juana," they said, "and the beautiful baby Coyotito,
and the others to come. What a pity it would be if the pearl should destroy them all."

Even Juana tries to throw the pearl into the sea to free them from its poison. And she
knew that Kino was "half insane and half god... that the mountain would stand while the
man broke himself; that the sea would surge while the man drowned in it." But, she
needed him yet, and she would follow him, even as he admits to his brother: "This pearl
has become my soul... If I give it up I shall lose my soul."
 The pearl sings to Kino, telling him of a future where his son will read and he may
become something more than a poor fisherman. In the end, the pearl doesn't fulfill any
of its promises. It only brings death and emptiness. As the family returned to their old
house, the people around them said that they seemed "removed from human
experience," that they had "gone through pain and had come out the other side; that
there was almost a magical protection about them."
 About John
Steinbeck
 John Ernst Steinbeck III (February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American
writer. He wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath, published in 1939
and the novella Of Mice and Men, published in 1937. In all, he wrote twenty-five books,
including sixteen novels, six non-fiction books and several collections of short stories. In
1962 Steinbeck received the Nobel Prize for Literature.

 Steinbeck grew up in the Salinas Valley region of California, a culturally diverse place of
rich migratory and immigrant history. This upbringing imparted a regionalistic flavor to
his writing, giving many of his works a distinct sense of place.Steinbeck moved briefly to
New York City, but soon returned home to California to begin his career as a writer. Most
of his earlier work dealt with subjects familiar to him from his formative years. An
exception was his first novel Cup of Gold which concerns the pirate Henry Morgan,
whose adventures had captured Steinbeck's imagination as a child.
 Seventeen of his works, including The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Cannery Row (1945), The
Pearl (1947), and East of Eden (1952), went on to become Hollywood films (some
appeared multiple times, i.e., as remakes), and Steinbeck also achieved success as a
Hollywood writer, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Story in 1944 for
Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat.
CONTENTS

EXTRA
Chapter-by-chapter

Novel Overview
 CHAPTER 1
 Kino awakes and watches the hanging box where his infant

son, Coyotito, sleeps. He then watches his wife, Juana, who

has also awakened and rests peacefully. Kino thinks of the

Song of the Family, a traditional song of his ancestors, as the

dawn comes and Juana begins to prepare breakfast. Kino's

ancestors had been great makers of songs, and everything

they saw or thought had become a song. Juana sings softly to

Coyotito part of the family song. Kino looks at them and

thinks that "this is safety, this is warmth, this is the Whole."

 Kino sees a movement near the hanging box where Coyotito

sleeps. A scorpion moves slowly down the rope supporting

the box. Kino thinks of the Song of Evil, the music of the

enemy, as the Song of the Family cries plaintively. Kino stands

still, ready to grasp the scorpion, but Coyotito shakes the

rope and the scorpion falls on him. Kino reaches to catch it,

but it falls onto the baby's shoulder and strikes. Kino grabs

the scorpion and kills it as Coyotito screams in pain. Juana

begins to suck the puncture to remove the poison.

 Having heard the baby's screams, Kino's brother, Juan Tomas, and

his fat wife Apolonia enter with their children. Juana orders them to

find a doctor. The doctor never comes to their cluster of brush

houses, so Juana decides to go to the doctor herself. The event

becomes a neighborhood affair, for Juan Tomas and Apolonia

accompany them and even the beggars in front of the church follow

Juana as she marches toward the doctor. Kino feels weak as he

approaches the doctor's home, for the doctor is not of his race and

thus believes that Kino's people are simple animals.

Kino tells the doctor's servant that his child was

poisoned by a scorpion. The doctor is a fat man who

longs for civilized living. Although the doctor is at home,

he refuses to treat Coyotito unless he knows that he has

money. The servant asks if Kino has money, and when

he can only offer small seed pearls, the servant tells

Kino that the doctor has gone out. Kino strikes the gate

with his fist, splitting his knuckles.

 Chapter 2
 Kino and Juana walk slowly down the beach to Kino's canoe,

the one thing of value that he owns. The canoe is old, bought

by Kino's grandfather, and is the source of food for Kino. It is

their most important possession, for "a man with a boat can

guarantee a woman that she will eat something." Coyotito

still suffers from the scorpion bite: the swelling on his

shoulder continues up his neck and his face is puffed and

feverish. Juana makes a poultice from brown seaweed. This

poultice is "as good a remedy as any and probably better

than the doctor could have done."

Kino and Juana get into the canoe so that Kino can find

pearl oysters that may pay for the treatment for

Coyotito. Kino dives for pearl oysters, where he thinks of

the Song of the Pearl That Might Be and the Song of the

Undersea. Kino works steadily under the water until he

sees a large oyster lying by itself with its shell partly

open, revealing what seems to be a massive pearl. Kino

forces the oyster loose and holds it tightly against him.

 When Kino comes up for air, Juana can sense his excitement.

Kino opens the various oysters he had caught, leaving the

largest one for last. He worries that the large pearl he saw

was merely a reflection, for "in this Gulf of uncertain light

there were more illusions than realities." Finally, Kino opens

the oyster to see a rich, perfectly curved pearl. Juana lifts the

poultice of seaweed from Coyotito to see that the swelling

has begun to recede. Kino puts back his head and howls,

causing the men in other canoes to look up and race toward

Kino's canoe.
 Chapter 3
 The news of the pearl travels fast through Kino's small village.

Before Kino and Juana return home, the news had already spread

that Kino had found "The Pearl of the World," as it comes to be

known. The local priest learns, as well as the doctor who refused to

treat Coyotito. When the doctor learns, he tells the patient that he is

treating that he must treat Coyotito for a scorpion sting. All manner

of people grow interested in Kino, and the news stirs up something

infinitely black and evil. The pearl buyers consider how they might

deal with Kino and offer him the lowest possible price.
 However, Kino and Juana do not know the anger and bitterness they

have engendered. Juan Tomas asks Kino what he will do now that he

has become rich, and Kino answers that he and Juana will be married

in the church. Kino envisions how he will be dressed, and sees

Coyotito in a yachting cap and sailor suit from the United States.

Kino then imagines buying a rifle. Thinking of the rifle breaks down

barriers for Kino, as he imagines the whole lot of things that he

might have. He thinks that Coyotito will go to school and learn to

read. He claims that "my son will make numbers, and these things

will make us free because he will know‹ he will know and through

him we will know."

 The priest visits Kino and Juana, and tells them that he hopes that they will

remember to give thanks and to pray for guidance. The doctor also visits, and

although Kino tells him that Coyotito is nearly well, the doctor claims that the

scorpion sting has a curious effect that comes later and if he is not treated he

may suffer blindness or a withered leg. Not sure whether or not the doctor is

telling the truth, Kino nevertheless lets him see the baby. The doctor takes a

bottle of white powder and a gelatin capsule, and gives Coyotito a pill. The

doctor tells them that the medicine may save the baby from pain, but he will

come back in an hour to check on him. After the doctor leaves, Kino wraps

the pearl in a rag and digs a hole in the dirt floor where he conceals the pearl.
 When the doctor returns, he gives Coyotito water with

ammonia and tells Kino that the baby will get well now. Kino

tells the doctor that he will pay him once he has sold his

pearl. The neighbors tell the doctor that Kino has found the

Pearl of the World and will be a rich man. The doctor suggests

that Kino keep the pearl in his safe, but Kino says that he has

it secure. The doctor realizes that Kino will likely look to the

place where it is stored, and sees his eyes move to the corner

where he had buried it. After the doctor leaves again, Juana

asks Kino whom he fears, and he answers Œeveryone.'

That night, Kino thinks that he hears noises in his

hut. He grabs his knife and strikes out in the dark.

The person scurries out. Juana tells Kino that the

pearl is evil and will destroy them. She tells him to

throw it away or break it, for it will destroy them.

Kino says that the pearl is their one chance, and

that the next morning they will sell the pearl.

 Chapter 4
In La Paz, the entire town knew that Kino was going to

sell the pearl that day. Kino's neighbors speak of what

they might do with the pearl. One man says that he

would give it as a present to the Pope, while another said

he would buy Masses for the souls of his family for a

thousand years, while another thought he would

distribute it among the poor of La Paz. Everyone worries

that the pearl will destroy Kino and Juana.

Before leaving to sell the pearl, Juan Tomas warns

Kino and Juana to get the best price for the pearl,

and tells him how their ancestors got an agent to

sell their pearls, but this agent ran off with the

pearls. Kino had heard the story told as a warning of

punishment against those who try to leave their

station. Kino and Juana, followed by neighbors,

reach the offices of the pearl buyers.

 The pearl dealer inspects the pearl and tells him that his pearl is like

fool's gold, for it is too large and valuable only as a curiosity. Kino

cries out that it is the Pearl of the World, and no one has ever seen

such a pearl. The dealer offers a thousand pesos, to which Kino says

that it is worth fifty thousand and the dealer wants to cheat him. The

dealer tells Kino to ask the others around him. Kino can feel the evil

around him as other dealers inspect the pearl. One dealer refuses the

pearl altogether, while a second dealer offers five hundred pesos.

Kino tells them that he will go to the capital. The dealer offers fifteen

hundred pesos, but Kino leaves with the pearl.

 That night, the townspeople argue whether Kino should have

accepted the money, which was still more than he would have

ever seen. Kino buries the pearl again that night, and remains

terrified at the world around him. Juan Tomas tell Kino that he

has defied not only the pearl buyers, but the whole structure of

life, and he fears for his brother. Juan Tomas warns him that he

treads on new ground. Juan Tomas reminds Kino that his

friends will protect him only if they are not in danger, and tells

him "Go with God" before he departs.

 In the middle of the night, Kino feels a sense of evil from

outside of his brush house, and he prepares to wield his knife.

Kino steps outside to see if there are prowlers. Juana can hear

noise from outside, so she picks up a stone and steps out of

their hut. She finds Kino with blood running down his scalp and

a long cut in his cheek from ear to chin. Juana once again tells

Kino that the pearl is evil and they must destroy it. Kino insists

that he will not be cheated, for he is a man.

 Chapter 5
 Kino senses movement near him, but it is only Juana who arises silently from

beside him. Kino sees her near the hanging box where Coyotito lay, and then

watches her go out the doorway. Kino begins to feel a great sense of rage as

he hears her footsteps going toward the shore; Juana is going to throw the

pearl back into the ocean. Kino chases Juana, then strikes her in the face with

his clenched fist and kicks her in the side. He then turns away from her and

walks up the beach. Juana knows that when Kino said that he is a man, he

meant that he was "half-insane and half-god" and knows as a woman that

"the mountain would stand while the man broke himself; that the sea would

surge while the man drowned in it."

 While walking on the beach, men accost Kino in search of the pearl,

which is knocked from his hand and lands on the pathway. Juana

soon sees Kino limping toward her with a stranger whose throat has

been slit. She finds the pearl for Kino, and tells him that they must

go away before daylight. Kino says that he struck to save his life, but

Juana says that this does not matter. He orders her to get Coyotito

and all of the corn they have. Kino finds his canoe with a splintered

hole in the bottom. He rushes home to find Juana and Coyotito, but

Juana tells Kino that their house was torn up and the floor dug, and

someone set fire to the outside.

Juana and Coyotito go to Juan Tomas and Apolonia.

When Kino tells about the man he has killed, Juan

Tomas says that it is the pearl and he should have

sold it. Kino begs his brother to hide them until

nightfall. Kino tells Juan Tomas that he will head

north. Kino says that he will not give up the pearl,

because "if I give it up I shall lose my soul."

 Chapter 6
 As Kino and Juana travel northward, Kino feels a sense of

exhilaration along with his fear. They walk all night and rest

during the day so that they may not be found, and attempt to

cover their tracks so that they cannot be followed easily. Kino

warns Juana that "whoever finds us will take the pearl," but

Juana wonders whether the dealers were right and the pearl

has no value. Kino says that they would not have tried to

steal it if it were not valuable. Kino repeats what they will

have once they sell the pearl: the church wedding, the rifle,
 When they stop to rest during the day, Juana does not sleep and

Kino stirs as he dreams. When they hear noises from the distance,

Kino orders Juana to keep Coyotito quiet. While Juana hides, Kino

moves through the brush to see what he heard, and notices in the

distance three bighorn sheep trackers, one of whom is on horseback.

Kino realizes that if the trackers find them, he must leap for the

horseman, kill him and take his rifle. As the horseman passes by

Kino, he does not notice him. Kino and Juana both realize that if the

trackers find them, they will kill them to get the pearl.
Kino and Juana escape into the mountains, not

bothering to cover their tracks. Kino orders Juana

and Coyotito to leave him, for he can go faster

alone, but she staunchly refuses. Kino and Juana

take a zigzag path in order to thwart the trackers,

and eventually find a small stream and the

entrance to a cave. Kino tells Juana to hide in the

cave, and he fears that Coyotito will cry, alerting

the trackers.
 While hiding in the cave, Kino finds that the trackers are by the

stream. So that he will not be seen, Kino takes off his white clothing

and stealthily creeps near them as they rest. The trackers can hear

Coyotito, but think that it is merely a coyote pup. As the tracker

prepares to shoot what he thinks is a coyote, Kino approaches the

trackers and pounces on them. He grabs one of the trackers' rifle

and shoots him between the eyes, and stabs another with his knife.

The third tracker escapes up the cliff toward the cave, but Kino

shoots him. Kino stands silently and hears nothing but the cry of

death. Coyotito has been shot.

 Kino and Juana arrive back in La Paz; he carries a gun while she carries her

shawl with a limp, heavy bundle. Their return to La Paz becomes a notable

event: "there may e some old ones who saw it, but those whose fathers and

whose grandfathers told it to them remember it nevertheless. It is an event

that happened to everyone." Juana appears hardened and tight with fatigue.

Kino thinks of the Song of the Family, which has become his battle cry. As

they return to La Paz, nobody speaks to them and even Juan Tomas cannot

bear to say a word. Kino and Juana approach the gulf, and in the surface of

the pearl Kino remembers seeing Coyotito lying in the cave with his head shot

away. Kino throws the pearl into the ocean.

Major Character

Minor Characte
 Kino

Juana Coyotito

Click on one of the character, to know about them

more~!
Juan Thomas The pries

The tracker
The Doctor

Apolonia The dealers

Click on one of the character, to know about them
more~!
 K
 The protagonist of the novel
ino
 Kino is a dignified, hardworking, impoverished native who works as a

pearl diver.

 lives in a brush house with his wife, Juana, and their infant son,

Coyotito, both of whom he loves very much.

 ambitious and desperate in his mission to break free of the

oppression of his colonial society.

 Kino's material ambition drives him to a state of animalistic violence,

and his life is reduced to a basic fight for survival

 Juan
a
 The mother of Coyotito and the wife of Kino.

 She dutifully supports her husband, despite his worsening treatment

of her.

 Warns against the dangers that the pearl can bring to the family.

 Remains steadfast throughout the story and devoted to maintaining

her family.

 Even refuses to obey Kino when he suggests that they take separate

paths to avoid the trackers.

 Coyotit
o
 The infant son of Kino and Coyotito.

 After he is stung by a scorpion, the doctor refuses to treat him

because his parents have no money.

 Although Juana seemingly cures him with a seaweed poultice, he

receives treatment from the doctor only after Kino finds the pearl.

 One of the trackers shoots Coyotito in the head as they hide in a

cave.
 Juan
 Kino's older brother.
Thomas
 Deeply loyal to his family.

 Supports Kino in all of his endeavors but warns him of the dangers

involved in possessing such a valuable pearl.

 Sympathetic to Kino and Juana, however, putting them up when they

need to hide and telling no one of their whereabouts.

 Apolonia
 Juan Tomás's wife and the mother of four children.

 Like her husband, Apolonia is sympathetic to Kino and Juana's plight.

 She agrees to give Kino,Juana and Coyotito shelter in their time of

need.
 The
Doctor
 A small-time colonial who dreams of returning to a bourgeois

European lifestyle.

 Initially refuses to treat Coyotito but changes his mind after learning

that Kino has found a great pearl.

 He represents the arrogance, condescension, and greed at the heart

of colonial society.
 The
Priest
 The local village priest ostensibly represents moral virtue and

goodness, but he is just as interested in exploiting Kino's wealth as

everyone else, hoping that he can find a way to persuade Kino to

give him some of the money he will make from the pearl.
 The
Dealers
 The extremely well-organized and corrupt pearl dealers in La Paz

systematically cheat and exploit the Indian pearl divers who sell

them their goods.

 They desperately long to cheat Kino out of his pearl.

 The
trackers
 The group of violent and corrupt men that follows Kino and Juana

when they leave the village, hoping to waylay Kino and steal his

pearl.
 Novel
Overview
Kino, Juana, and their infant son, Coyotito, live in a modest brush house by the sea. One
morning, calamity strikes when a scorpion stings Coyotito. Hoping to protect their son,
Kino and Juana rush him to the doctor in town. When they arrive at the doctor's gate,
they are turned away because they are poor natives who cannot pay enough.

Later that same morning, Kino and Juana take their family canoe, an heirloom, out to the
estuary to go diving for pearls. Juana makes a poultice for Coyotito's wound, while Kino
searches the sea bottom. Juana's prayers for a large pearl are answered when Kino
surfaces with the largest pearl either of them has ever seen. Kino lets out a triumphant
yell at his good fortune, prompting the surrounding boats to circle in and examine the
treasure.

In the afternoon, the whole neighborhood gathers at Kino's brush house to celebrate his
find. Kino names a list of things that he will secure for his family with his newfound
wealth, including a church wedding and an education for his son. The neighbors marvel
at Kino's boldness and wonder if he is foolish or wise to harbor such ambitions.
Toward evening, the local priest visits Kino to bless him in his good fortune and to remind
him of his place within the church. Shortly thereafter, the doctor arrives, explaining that
he was out in the morning but has come now to cure Coyotito. He administers a
powdered capsule and promises to return in an hour.

In the intervening period, Coyotito grows violently ill, and Kino decides to bury the pearl
under the floor in a corner of the brush house. The doctor returns and feeds Coyotito a
potion to quiet his spasms. When the doctor inquires about payment, Kino explains that
soon he will sell his large pearl and inadvertently glances toward the corner where he
has hidden the pearl. This mention of the pearl greatly intrigues the doctor, and Kino is
left with an uneasy feeling.

Before going to bed, Kino reburies the pearl under a stone in his fire hole. That night, he is
roused by an intruder digging around in the corner. A violent struggle ensues, and Kino's
efforts to chase away the criminal leave him bloodied. Terribly upset by this turn of
events, Juana proposes that they abandon the pearl, which she considers an agent of
evil.
The next morning, Kino and Juana make their way to town to sell the pearl. Juan Tomás,
Kino's brother, advises Kino to be wary of cheats. Indeed, all of the dealers conspire to
bid low on the pearl. Kino indignantly refuses to accept their offers, resolving instead to
take his pearl to the capital. That evening, as Kino and Juana prepare to leave, Juan
Tomás cautions Kino against being overly proud, and Juana repeats her wish to be rid of
the pearl. Kino silences her, explaining that he is a man and will take care of things.

In the middle of the night, Juana steals away with the pearl. Kino wakes as she leaves and
pursues her, apprehending her just as she is poised to throw the pearl into the sea. He
tackles her, takes the pearl back, and beats her violently, leaving her in a crumpled
heap on the beach. As he returns to the brush house, a group of hostile men confronts
him and tries to take the pearl from him. He fights the men off, killing one and causing
the rest to flee, but drops the pearl in the process.

As Juana ascends from the shore to the brush house, she finds the pearl lying in the path.
Just beyond, she sees Kino on the ground, next to the dead man. He bemoans the loss
of the pearl, which she presents to him. Though Kino explains that he had no intention
to kill, Juana insists that he will be labeled a murderer. They resolve to flee at once. Kino
rushes back to the shore to prepare the canoe, while Juana returns home to gather
Coyotito and their belongings.
Kino arrives at the shore and finds his canoe destroyed by vandals. When he climbs the hill,
he sees a fire blazing, and realizes that his house has burned down. Desperate to find
refuge, Kino, Juana and Coyotito duck into Juan Tomás's house, where they hide out for
the day. Relieved that the three did not perish in the blaze, as the rest of the
neighborhood believes, Juan Tomás and his wife, Apolonia, reluctantly agree to keep
Kino and Juana's secret and provide shelter for them while pretending to be ignorant of
their whereabouts.

At nightfall, Kino, Juana, and Coyotito set out for the capital. Skirting the town, they travel
north until sunrise and then take covert shelter by the roadside. They sleep for most of
the day and are preparing to set out again when Kino discovers that three trackers are
following them. After hesitating briefly, Kino decides that they must hurry up the
mountain, in hopes of eluding the trackers. A breathless ascent brings them to a water
source, where they rest and take shelter in a nearby cave. Kino attempts to mislead the
trackers by creating a false trail up the mountain. Kino, Juana, and Coyotito then hide in
the cave and wait for an opportunity to escape back down the mountain.
The trackers are slow in their pursuit and finally arrive at the watering hole at dusk. They
make camp nearby, and two of the trackers sleep while the third stands watch. Kino
decides that he must attempt to attack them before the late moon rises. He strips naked
to avoid being seen and sneaks up to striking distance. Just as Kino prepares to attack,
Coyotito lets out a cry, waking the sleepers. When one of them fires his rifle in the
direction of the cry, Kino makes his move, killing the trackers in a violent fury. In the
aftermath, Kino slowly realizes that the rifle shot struck and killed his son in the cave.

The next day, Kino and Juana make their way back through town and the outlying brush
houses. Juana carries her dead son slung over her shoulder. They walk all the way to the
sea, as onlookers watch in silent fascination. At the shore, Kino pulls the pearl out of his
clothing and takes one last, hard look at it. Then, with all his might, under a setting sun,
he flings the pearl back into the sea.
 Moral
Values
One must not be greedy One must not have envy

One must not cheat We must help each other

 Moral
Values
One must not be greedy One must not have
ØThe doctor is greedy. He will envy
only treat coyotio if Kino has
money.

ØThe Priest was greedy for

donations for the church

One must not cheat We must help each

other
 Moral
Values
One must not be greedy One must not have envy
ØThe doctor is greedy. He will
only treat coyotio if Kino has
money.

ØThe Priest was greedy for

donations for the church

One must not cheat We must help each

ØThe doctor gives Coyotito other
poison and “cures” him for
payment.

ØThe Pearl Buyers offer Kino a

cheap dirt price for Kino’s
pearl.
 Moral
Values
One must not be greedy
ØThe doctor is greedy. He will
only treat coyotio if Kino has
money.
ØThe Priest was greedy for
donations for the church
One must not have
envy
ØThe Neighbours became
envious of Kino’s discovery
ØThey also dreamt about what
to do if they get The Pearl.

One must not cheat We must help each other

ØThe doctor gives Coyotito
poison and “cures” him for
payment.

ØThe Pearl Buyers offer Kino a

cheap dirt price for Kino’s
pearl.
 Moral
Values
One must not be greedy
ØThe doctor is greedy. He will
only treat coyotio if Kino has
money.
ØThe Priest was greedy for
donations for the church
One must not cheat
ØThe doctor gives Coyotito
poison and “cures” him for
payment.
ØThe Pearl Buyers offer Kino a
cheap dirt price for Kino’s
pearl.
One must not have
envy
ØThe Neighbours became
envious of Kino’s discovery
ØThey also dreamt about what
to do if they get The Pearl.
We must help each
other
ØJuan Thomas was willing to
help Kino by hiding him in his
house.
ØAppolonia helps to pack some
food for Kino’s journey
 Moral
Values
One must not be greedy One must not have envy

One must not cheat We must help each other

ØThe doctor gives Coyotito
poison and “cures” him for
payment.

ØThe Pearl Buyers offer Kino a

cheap dirt price for Kino’s
pearl.
 Moral
Values
One must not be greedy One must not have
envy
ØThe Neighbours became
envious of Kino’s discovery

ØThey also dreamt about what

to do if they get The Pearl.

One must not cheat We must help each other

 Moral
Values
One must not be greedy One must not have envy

One must not cheat We must help each

other
ØJuan Thomas was willing to
help Kino by hiding him in his
house.

ØAppolonia helps to pack some

food for Kino’s journey
 Themes
Greed Hope
 Themes
Greed Hope
vThe pearl attracts greedy
people such as The
Doctor,priest and trackers .

vFor money, everything can

be done. Ex: The doctor
poisoned Coyotito for money.

vHappiness can be destroy by

greed. Ex: Persuasion by other
people ruins the happiness of
Kino’s family
 Themes
Greed
vThe pearl attracts greedy
people such as The
Doctor,priest and trackers .
vFor money, everything can
be done. Ex: The doctor
poisoned Coyotito for money.
vHappiness can be destroy by
greed. Ex: Persuasion by other
people ruins the happiness of
Kino’s family
Hope
vHope was brought by The
Pearl.
vFor Kino it was a new life for
him and family
vThe society also hopes to get
benefits from The Pearl
vThe Dealers hope to get high
commission for The Pearl
 SETTIN
G
Set in a small fishing village community of Indian-
Mexican

The Town The Beach

The Village The Gulf
The SeaThe Mountain
The Desert
 The
Town
 City of La Paz situated on The Baja Peninsula between

mainland Mexico and Gulf of Carolina USA

 Spanish-Mexican had a higher social status than the Indians.

 Once a great pearl trading center, but now corrupt by the

system

 News travels fast in the town

 Building made off ‘brick and plaster walls’

 The
Village
 Brush houses own by poor Indian-Mexicans fishermen.

 A very rural and poor area

 Prepare the same food, corn-cake and prepare them with only

using coal and firewood.

 Most of the inhabitants work as pearl divers and fishermen

 The neighbours have respect and care for each other

 The
 A miniature universe Sea
 Alive with see creatures and plans like green eels, sea horse,

poison fish and crabs.

 The colour change represent change of moods and values

 The
Beach
 A narrow strip of land

 Canoes are store here

 A place where animals come to source for food

 The
 The air is uncertain Gulf
 Has an effect like-mirage

 Cannot trust what was seen

 During a good weather, the air can vibrate with joy

 Wind changes shows unreadiness in the air, danger or even

evil
 The
Mountains
 Described as monolithic, high bare stones.

 Represent a sanctuary of refuge for animals.

 A symbol of death, the place where Coyotito died.

 ‘had gone through pains and come out on the other side’

represents birth.

 Obstacles were also symbolize with the mountains.

 The
Desert
 A waterless land and has no inhabitants.

 Full of thorny trees.

 A quiet place.
 Extra
content
 Exercis
es
Objective Questions
Essay Questions
 Objective
Questions
1. Where is The Pearl set? 
(A) Spain
(B) Mexico
(C) Cuba
(D) The United States
 
2. What stings Coyotito? 
(A) A porcupine
(B) A hornet
(C) A scorpion
(D) A mosquito
3. With what does Kino offer to pay the doctor? 
(A) Eight small pearls
(B) Five pieces of gold bullion
(C) Ten weeks of hard labor
(D) His canoe
 
4. How does Kino react when the doctor snubs him? 
(A) He sulks
(B) He strikes the front gate with his fists, bloodying his knuckles
(C) He phones his lawyer
(D) He threatens the doctor with death
5. What does Juana use as a poultice for Coyotito's wound? 
(A) Dry ice
(B) Peppermint
(C) Oatmeal
(D) Seaweed
 
6. How did Kino acquire his canoe? 
(A) He built it
(B) He exchanged pearls for it
(C) He inherited it
(D) He stole it
7. For what does Juana pray when she is in the canoe? 
(A) A big pearl
(B) Rain
(C) Coyotito's health
(D) Sinners
 
8. Which of the following is not on the list of things Kino plans to
buy with his newfound wealth? 
(A) An education for Coyotito
(B) A sailboat
(C) A rifle
(D) A proper marriage in a church
9. How does the doctor treat Coyotito's scorpion wound? 
(A) With a capsule filled with powder
(B) With a strange purple liquid
(C) By administering a shot
(D) By wrapping it in seaweed
 
10. Where does Kino hide the pearl during the night? 
(A) In the doctor's safe
(B) In his sock
(C) Under the potted plant by the toolbox
(D) Beneath his sleeping mat
11. What reason does the dealer give for not liking Kino's pearl? 
(A) It is too large
(B) It smells funny
(C) It is actually made out of beeswax
(D) It is stolen
 
12. How does Kino decide to make money when he realizes that the
local pearl dealers are lowballing him? 
(A) By panhandling and singing for money
(B) By stockpiling all the pearls of La Paz
(C) By traveling to the capital to sell his pearl
(D) By filing a lawsuit against the dealers according to the Sherman Anti
13. How does Kino react when Juana attempts to steal the pearl
from him? 
(A) He agrees with her that the pearl will only bring them evil
(B) He punches her in the head and then kicks her
(C) He leaves her for another woman
(D) He chases her down and persuades her to return the pearl to him
 
14. Why must Kino and his family flee from their
neighborhood? 
(A) Because Kino sets fire to a group of houses
(B) Because Kino steals a knife from his brother
(C) Because Kino makes advances on his brother's wife
(D) Because Kino kills a man
15. For what do the trackers mistake Coyotito's cry? 
(A) A coyote's cry
(B) An owl's screech
(C) A cat's meow
(D) A bat's shriek
 
16. How does Kino rid himself of the trackers? 
(A) He wrestles them into submission
(B) He outruns them
(C) He hides until they have lost his trail
(D) He kills them
 Essay
Questions
1.    Describe in detail Kino and Juana's simple life before and
after the discovery of the pearl.

2.    Kino believes that it would be better to kill a person than to

kill a canoe because a canoe has no relatives to revenge it.
What types of values are operative in such a statement?

3.    What is the function of the many songs that Kino hears

during the course of the novel?
 Literature Exam
Tips
1. Always remember this; in literature,
there is NO WRONG ANSWERS if you
could support it with sufficient Textual
Evidences[T.E].
2. When answering your paper, make sure
you have enough T.E to support your
idea. If not, you might run short of
marks later!
3. Constantly ask yourself, whether you are
answering what the question is asking or
not.
4. Finally, keep track of the number of
 LA PAZ,
MEXICO
NOWADAYS