The Pearl

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The Pearl

• By John Steinbeck

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Introduction

• John Steinbeck was a social activist. He became
  the voice of the poor and the oppressed, people
  who had no one to speak for them.
• Parable a brief story, usually with human
  characters, that is told to teach a lesson.
• Steinbeck wrote If this story is a parable,
  perhaps everyone takes his own meaning from it
  and reads his own life into it. In other words,
  The Pearl will mean something different to each
  of you.

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Steinbeck and the Parable

• Steinbeck hinted that The Pearl is both
  symbolic and literal. In other words, the story
  can be about the struggles of the poor or how
  sudden wealth can change everything for any
  family. It is can also be seen as simply the
  story about one family.
• The symbolic meaning of the story may differ from
  reader to reader.
• The story is more than just a plot (this happened
  and this and then this).
• The reader needs to understand that there is
  meaning below the surface of the story.

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History

• In the 16th century the Spanish landed in Mexico
  and overthrew the Aztecs.
• The Spaniards enslaved the native people of the
  area.
• Today, these people are not slaves but they make
  up the underclass of Mexican society.
• The descendants of the Spanish conquerors are
  still richer and more powerful than the rest of
  the population. They make up the ruling class of
  Mexico.

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Social Classes of Mexican Culture

• The doctor, the priest, and the pearl buyers are
  all of Spanish descent (upper class).
• Kino and his family practice the Catholic
  religion, but still hold onto their belief in the
  pagan gods.
• The upper class looks down on the poor native
  people because of their beliefs, their race, and
  their poverty.

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Characters and Objects

• The characters are also symbols used to show
  meaning and teach a lesson.
• Kino
• Juana
• Coyotito
• the doctor
• the pearl-buyers
• the priest

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Themes

• Good versus Evil
• The most prominent theme in the parable of the
  pearl is that of the struggle between good and
  evil.
• In parables, everything is generally black and
  white.
• Throughout the story, the songs that Kino hears
  in his head tells him on an instinctual level the
  true nature of someone or some things (think of
  Peter Parkers spider-sense) true nature. Thus,
  the song of evil accompanies the Priest who
  treats the Indians like children, and the doctor
  who regards them as animals.

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Themes

• Good versus Evil(continued)
• The song of the family accompanies the
  life-sustaining morning activities and later on
  as the family flees from their pursuers. To Kino,
  anything that threatens the family is evil. Thus,
  the song of evil can also accompany natural
  things like the scorpion which stings Coyotito.
• The pearl, also a product of nature, is never
  clearly defined as inherently good or evil.
  Rather its effect upon the family is shown to be
  evil once it has proven to be a treacherous
  holder of Kinos dreams.
• .

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Themes

• Poverty versus WealthThe pearls immediate and
  lasting effect upon Kino is to cause him to dream
  of better things for himself and for his family.
  Although the pearl attracts attackers and
  pursuers, Kino is determined that it shall be the
  means by which his family rises above their
  station and, most importantly, his son achieves
  an education.

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Themes

• FamilyAlthough Kino begins the story with the
  song of the family running through his head, he
  is soon sidetracked by the desires generated by
  the pearl. Though these desires are for things
  that Kino believes will make the family stronger
  a rifle, a marriage, education It is Juana
  who struggles to maintain the family as it once
  was.

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Themes

• FamilySignificantly, it is Juana who first
  suggests destroying the pearl between two stones
  and actually attempts to free her family of its
  influence by throwing it back into the sea. She
  realizes that the family would have no meaning
  without Kino and give in to his desire to sell
  the pearl in the city..

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Themes

• FortuneThe operations of chance and the effort
  to tell good luck from bad luck in an underlying
  theme in the story. The pearl itself is the
  byproduct of a chance grain of sand embedding in
  an oyster.

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Other Themes

• The struggle for survival is shown in two
  different ways
• The struggle of the poor to survive
• The conflict between good and evil

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Other Themes

• Free will vs. determination (everything is fixed
  and you cant change it)
• Oppression by the rich and powerful on the poor.
• How wealth and possessions can corrupt people
• The relationship of human beings to nature

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Characters and Objects

• The Pearl
• At first, the pearl is a wonderful thing. It
  represents an escape from poverty and a chance
  for the Indians to eventually become free of the
  domination of the Spanish. It is wonderful luck
  and an accident.
• Eventually, the pearl begins to corrupt everyone
  it touches, even seemingly innocent people such
  as Kino. He begins to think more about the pearl
  than about his family. Almost everyone seeing the
  pearl falls under its spell and will do anything
  to get it.

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Setting

• My Land concept
• The Indians believed the place of their birth to
  be important and believed that they should remain
  in their birthplace.

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Chapter 1

• Setting Before finding the pearl, Kino and his
  family living in harmony with nature.
• Songs and what they mean (the Song of the Family,
  the Song of Evil, etc.)

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Chapter 1

• Imagery of music and songs, harmony and peace.
• Story begins at dawning of a new day.

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Chapter 1

• Songs can show the world at peace or out of
  control.
• Kino is living the way he is supposed to do.
• Kino and Juana have a harmonious relationship.
• The man is clearly the head of the family.

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Chapter 1

• Struggle for survival (life is a constant one)
• Complication intruder the scorpion
• Kino reacts emotional (smashing the scorpion)
• Juana thinks and uses logic (draws out the
  poison, takes the baby to the doctor, etc.)
• Doctor will only treat the baby if he is paid. He
  refuses the first time when he sees that Kino has
  only the poor seed pearls.
• The servant tells Kino the doctor has gone.

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Chapter 2

• Kino must find a way to pay for medical treatment
  so he goes diving for pearls.
• Juana uses traditional ways to fight the poison
  (first, sucking the poison out later making a
  seaweed poultice)
• Song of the Pearl That Might Be
• Kino finds a huge pearl

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Chapter 3

• The Pearl of the World
• Now that Kino has the pearl, people treat him
  differently.
• The priest, the doctor and the pearl buyers all
  make plans because of the pearl. All seem
  motivated by greed.
• Later, Juana tells Kino the pearl is evil and
  will destroy them, but Kino says the pearl is the
  key to the familys future and a symbol of hope
  for all of his people.

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Chapter 3 Kinos dreams

• With the pearl, the baby can be cured.
• Kino and Juana can get married in the church.
• They can all buy new clothes.
• Kino can buy a rifle.

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Chapter 3

• Coyotito can get an education and all Kinos
  people My son will make numbers, and these
  things will make us free because he will know and
  through him we will know."
• After the doctors visit, Kino hides the pearl.
  The doctor tricks Kino into showing where it is.
• That night, someone tries to steal the pearl.
  Kino attacks the person with his knife.
• Juana tells Kino the pearl is evil and to throw
  it away.
• Kino says the pearl is there one chance and he
  will sell it the next day.

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Chapter 4

• The peoples plans for charity are opposite of
  what Kino plans for his family.
• Good and charitable ideas are easier when it is
  someone elses money being spent.
• Kino and Juana have hard decisions to make, no
  matter what they do.
• Juan Tomas (Kinos brother) warns him to get the
  best price for the pearl.
• Once the Indians hired an agent to negotiate for
  them and take the pearls to Mexico City, but the
  agents were never seen again. Some say they were
  stolen by the agents others think that the
  agents were murdered and the pearls stolen from
  them. In any event, the pearls are never seen
  again.

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Chapter 4

• Pearl buyer tells Kino the pearl is like fools
  gold too large and not valuable
• He is offered 1,000 pesos Kino says it is worth
  50,000 pesos.
• The buyer seems to be trying to cheat Kino.
• Kino can feel evil around him as the other buyers
  inspect the pearl.
• The pearl dealer, like the priest and the doctor,
  tries to manipulate Kino.
• He tries to cheat Kino out of his money.
• No other pearl dealer will pay more.
• By refusing to sell the pearl, Kino is taking on
  the entire power structure of his society. This
  could be very dangerous.

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Chapter 4

• Kino says he will go to the capital (Mexico City)
  to sell the pearl.
• The townspeople argue about whether Kino should
  have taken the money.
• Kino buries the pearl again and is angry and
  terrified.
• Juan Tomas says that Kino is challenging the
  people in power. He could change everything.
• Juan Tomas says his friends will only protect him
  if he is not in danger. They will not do anything
  to jeopardize their own safety.
• That night, Kino is attacked again when he tries
  to protect the pearl.
• Juana says the pearl is evil and must be
  destroyed. Kino says he is a man and will not be
  cheated by anyone.
• Kino is willing to fight for the pearl.
• Kino is demanding just and respectful treatment.
• Juana is the voice of reason. She warns Kino
  about what could happen. She thinks the pearl is
  evil.
• Finding the pearl should have meant security and
  prosperity. Instead, it seems to offer only pain
  and danger.

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Chapter 5

• Juana takes the pearl and goes to throw it in the
  ocean.
• Kino stops her, and punches and kicks her.
• Kino says he is a man Juana knows this means
  that he is half insane and half a god.
• Kino is again attacked by strangers and kills one
  of them.
• He loses the pearl in the fight, but Juana finds
  it later.
• Kino knows that they must run away from the
  village to save their lives.
• Kino finds that someone has put a hole in his
  canoe. To Kino, this is worse than killing a man
  because a canoe does not have sons who can seek
  revenge. Kino does not even think of stealing
  another canoe, which would mean starvation for
  the other canoes owner.
• Juana tells him that their hut has been searched
  and set on fire.
• Kino hides at his brothers house. His brother
  lets him stay,but only reluctantly.
• His brother says that the pearl is the cause of
  all the trouble.

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Chapter 6

• While on the journey, Kino finds himself both
  excited and afraid.
• Kino tells Juana that anyone who finds them will
  take the pearl..
• Juana wonders if maybe the pearl really was
  worthless, but Kino says no one would be trying
  so hard to steal a worthless pearl.
• Kino again imagines all of the things he will do
  with the pearl if he sells it, but everything he
  sees in the pearl now seems evil and twisted.
• They are being followed by three trackers, one on
  horse with a rifle.
• Kino and Juana realize they will be killed if
  they are found.
• Kino realizes he must kill the man on horseback
  and get his rifle.
• Kino tells Juana to take the baby and leave him,
  but she refuses.
• Juana hides in a cave with Coyotito.
• Kino takes off his white clothing so he can be
  less visible.
• The family is being hunted like animals. Kino
  especially becomes like an animal.
• Juana retains her human qualities.
• Kino kills all three attackers, but the baby is
  also killed.
• When Kino and Juana return to La Paz, he throws
  the pearl back into the sea.
• When he does this, he throws away his pain along
  with his dreams of wealth.

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The Pearl Final Project

• Choose one of the following for your final
  project. Discuss your ideas with your instructor
  before beginning the project.
• Write a different ending to The Pearl. Students
  will reenact a scene from their ending. (5-10
  duration)
• 2 pages minimum
• Write the next chapter in the life of Kino and
  Juana.
• 2 pages minimum
• Write a poem retelling the story or your feeling
  about the story.
• 1 page minimum (on a poster board, including
  symbols that depict your story)
• Pick two of the following ideas. Write a three
  paragraph essay using examples from the story.
• love of money and greed 2. discrimination 3.
  superior attitude of people 4. cultural
  misunderstandings 5. suppression of others .
• Write a letter to Juana and/or Kino expressing
  your sadness over their loss of Coyotito and/or
  the pearl. 2 pages minimum
• Pick a topic from the book and research it.
  (cover and illustration included)
• 2 pages minimum