The Pearl By John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck Born in Salinas, California in 1902 Died 1968 Awarded the Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath (1940) Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature (1962) Wrote Of Mice and Men (1937)
The Pearl is a parable. Parable: - A short story that teaches a lesson.
Literary Elements in The Pearl: SETTING: POINT OF VIEW A small, coastal town in Mexico called La Paz. (fictional) Third person omniscient
CHARACTERS Kino - Protagonist Juana - Kino’s wife Coyotito – Kino and Juana’s only son Juan Tomas - Kino’s older brother Apolonia – Juan Tomas’s wife The doctor The priest
THEMES The struggle for survival Free Will vs. Self Determination Oppression and Social Class Power/Money Corrupts Man as part of nature
Other elements/techniques to look for as we read: Symbols/Symbolism - Symbols are specific objects that represent something else. Imagery- Descriptions that apply to our senses (sight, sound, touch, etc.) In The Pearl: Look for specific references to “Light,” “Dark,” Music, and Nature.
Chapter One
Chapter One Family = Safety, warmth, the Whole Evil= “any foe of the family” Watch for the songs that Kino refers to Setting contrasts old/new; rich/poor For oppressed class (lower class), “Rage and terror went together.”
Chapter Two Setting—mirages cause people to trust imagination, not eyes …all sights were unreal and vision could not be trusted… There was no certainty in seeing, no proof that what you saw was there or not there. (14) Notice! Pearl= accident of nature But the pearls were accidents, and the finding of one was luck, a little pat on the back by God or the gods or both. (16)
Chapter Three Note reactions of priest, shopkeeper, doctor, beggars. ***Why is Kino every man’s enemy? ***Of what “luxuries” does Kino dream? ***Why doesn’t Kino recognize the priest’s song of evil?
Chapter Three, cont. ***How does the doctor prove that Kino is trapped without an education? ***How do the priest and doctor prove themselves to be evil men? “Luck, you see, brings bitter friends.” ***What bitter friends does luck bring Kino and Juana?
Chapter Three, cont. Note how Kino changes throughout the book.
Chapter Four Mexican Indians believed they were meant to remain in their birthplace. This was reinforced by priests. Note that Kino’s strength comes from Juana. Kino defies “the whole way of life” ***How do the people react?
Chapter Four, cont. Steinbeck never identifies either the intruder or the attacker. ***Why?
Chapter Five Kino Contented Family Man Alone & Unprotected A Brooding Hate Violent “He was an animal now.”
Chapter Six Illusion vs. Reality Rifle Body w/slit throat Marriage Beaten Juana Education for Coyotito Sickened Coyotito
Chapter Six Return to Village Change in relationship ***Have they finally achieved true marriage? “…they had gone through pain and had come out on the other side.” ***Does this mean they will be OK?
Chapter Six, cont. Pearl of the World “my misfortune” Gray, ulcerous, evil
Chapter Six, cont. At the end of the book, Juana and Kino are still a family!