The Best Analysis of The Pearl

The Best Analysis of The Pearl Steven Chiyaka Phiri
Mr. Oooky ‘s Book Series

The Best Analysis
of
THE PEARL
A Critical Analysis of John Steinbeck’s Novella “The Pearl”
----- for teachers and students -----
Steven Chiyaka Phiri

Mr. Oooky ‘s Book Series
The Best Analysis
of
THE PEARL
A Critical Analysis of John Steinbeck’s Novella “The Pearl”
----- for teachers and students -----
First edition 2019

Second edition 2021
Proofreading by Albert Zepete
©Sir. Steven Chiyaka Phiri
Contacts: 0888980567/0997291761
Email: chiyakapsteve@gmail.com
Facebook: Steve P. Chiyaka
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in

a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means: electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, copy printing or otherwise unless a
prior permission of the owner is granted.
Book Cover by Cilpar Designs

CONTENTS
About the author ……………………………..………………………….…..1
Acknowledgments ..……………………………………………….……...…1
Dedication ………………………………………………………….………. 1
The concept in ‘The Pearl’ …….…………...……………………….……… 2
Important quick facts about ‘The Pearl’ ..………………………...……..…. 3
Chapter 1: Chapter One Analysis …………………..………….....5

Characters and Themes
Chapter 2: Chapter Two Analysis ….……….………….…….…11

Chapter 3: Chapter Three Analysis ...………………………..… 17

Chapter 4: Chapter Four Analysis …...……..................………... 28

Chapter 5: Chapter Five Analysis ……….……………………. 41

Chapter 6: Chapter Six Analysis .………………………………. 51

Chapter 7: Major songs and Music in ‘The Pearl’…………….... 64
Chapter 8: Symbolism in ‘The Pearl’.…...…………………....... 66
Chapter 9: Major Characters’ traits in ‘The Pearl’………………68
Chapter 10: Major themes in ‘The Pearl’………….………….…72
Chapter 11: Essay Writing in Literature………………………….76
References ……...………………...…………………………………….…81
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mr. Oooky was born Steven Chiyaka Phiri to a couple of Boyd Chiyaka Phiri and Dorica
Kahinja Phiri in by then, an undeveloped Capital City of Malawi, Lilongwe, many
kilometers away from his original home district, Nkhata-Bay.
A Domasi College of Education Graduate, he boasts as a professional English educator

trained in Languages based on The Secondary School Curriculum and Assessment
Review (SSCAR). With that, he has offered this helpful book mindful of all the important
facts necessary for the analysis of ‘The Pearl’, a stunning novella by John Steinbeck,
centered on the latest syllabus. He has ever served as a Head teacher of Athens 1
Secondary School.
As a literature enthusiast, Mr. Oooky is a zealous Poet, Playwright, Story Writer and Play
Director, things that turn him into being a Literature Darling. In short, he loves words so
much. He has written this book to cover up for the inadequacies that have for so long
existed in the way ‘The Pearl’ is taught in schools. Having acquired a great deal of
experience in the teaching of English as a language in general and English literature in
particular, he has baked this book with a great supportive intention in mind.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am so indebted to the almighty God for his mercy on me in the development of this
book. Sincerely, I will never tire in showing gratitude to my Mother, Dorica Kahinja Phiri
for just everything.
I thank Sir Albert Zepete for the proofreading of this book and his unwavering support in
its whole construction process. I further thank Mr. Amos Kadazi and Madam Towera
Ngoma for their great technical support in the production of this book. Specifically, I
also deeply acknowledge Mr. Bright Manda, the Cilpar Designs Company Manager, for
his dexterity in coming up with the charming cover pages of this book. Thanks as well to
all my former students and fellow staff members of Athens 3 Secondary School for the
nice time we had together as I was working on this book.
My appreciation as well goes to The Kadazi Family, my family, every family and all my
friends for their positive contributions in this book.
DEDICATION
Dear Dorica Kahinja Phiri, my super mother and my first woman, this book is for you. I
love you. I pray that your daughter-in-law must possess your adorable traits.
1
THE CONCEPT IN THE PEARL

Have nothing, then you will be no one on this earth. At last have a little
something, then everyone will take you as a great someone and be ready to face
troubles.
This is the truth in the novella, “The Pearl”, by John Steinbeck. When people
are poor in life, nobody desires to be near them. Once they start showing signs
of getting greater in life, big names start coming to them. In Malawi for example,
names like ‘Mtchana’ and ‘Munthu Wamkulu’, among others start to follow
them. However, at one point they become blinded, people start feeling envious
about them, they begin to bump into distresses and suddenly fall.
Though set in Mexico, the concept in “The Pearl” applies to all communities of
the world, Malawian inclusive.
Kino was a poor man at first and no one knew him. He was a mere man sleeping
on a mat, living in a brush house, eating poorly made corn cakes, his wife
walking on barefoot and owning an old canoe.
Once he found the great treasure in the name of “The Pearl”, influential people
of the society started flocking to him. Again, just like everyone is brought to
danger when they accumulate wealth, Kino becomes blindfolded due to his pearl
and many disasters befall on him and his whole household.
Kino sacrifices everything just to get riches from the pearl. Sadly, he loses one
of his precious things, his son, precious more than his pearl. At last, he regrets
but he cannot do anything for it is now water under the bridge. Greed and blind
ambition pay him dearly.
This book has been written to be like a series of live lessons. I have written it so
as to assist both teachers and students understand and visualize the happenings
and literary elements in “The Pearl”. Since Sally Koch once said and I quote:
“Great opportunities to help others seldom come, but small ones surround us
daily,” accept this small offer that I render to you.
Enjoy the ride as I help you comprehend “The Pearl”, one step after another.
Yours
Mr. Oooky
Steven Chiyaka Phiri
2
IMPORTANT QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE PEARL
Author: John Steinbeck
Type of Story: Tragedy
Total Time of the Story: Five Days
Meaning of the term ‘Pearl’
A precious, expensive, shinny, rounded, stone like substance

whose colour varies, found in some organisms called oysters
that are found in large water bodies like rivers, lakes, seas and
oceans and is used in jewelry making.
Main Characters:
 Kino - Protagonist and Father

 Juana - Kino’s Wife
 Coyottito – Son to Kino and Juana
Other Characters:
 Juan Tomas - Kino’s Elder Brother

 Apolonia – Wife to Juan Tomas
 Juan Tomas’ Children
 The French Doctor
 The Doctor’s Servant
 The Priest
 The Pearl Buyers
 The Trackers
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 The Beggars
 The Villagers
 The Other Fishermen
 The Shopkeepers
 The Old Man
 The Village Women
Factual Setting:
La Paz in Mexico
Other Settings:
 Kino’s House
 The Doctor’s Gate
 The Sea
 The Pearl Buyers’ Office
 The Mountains
 The Water Pool
4
Chapter 1
CHAPTER ONE ANALYSIS

DAY ONE
MAIN EVENT: Coyottito is stung
SETTING: In the house of Kino; at the Doctor’s gate
CHARACTERS: Kino, Juana, Coyottito, Juan Tomas, Apolonia and

Villagers
GOOD MORNING
From a poor brush hut, Kino and Juana wake up from their sleep. The
sun has not yet shone. We can imagine seeing pigs searching for what to
eat and birds singing softly. Kino has his Juana, the wife beside him while
Coyottito, their baby sleeps innocently in a hanging box.
It promises to be a sweet day. Kino hears the Song of the Family. (Go to
page 64 of this book for the meanings of songs and music in ‘The Pearl’)
After checking that the baby is safe, Juana goes on to make corn cakes
on the hut's fire place. Kino goes out to watch the sunrise. While outside,
a goat with yellowish eyes comes near and sniffs him. Inside the house,
a moth flies around the fire. Juana grinds the corn for breakfast.
It is now sunrise and food is ready. Kino sees an ant escaping an ant lion
trap before seeing a thin black dog with yellow spots. All these are bad
signs. Juana cleans the baby while singing. Before going inside, Kino
sees two roosters about to fight. Then wild doves fly towards the hills.
5
KINO EATS BREAKFAST
As Juana grooms herself and combs her hair, Kino eats the prepared hot
corn cakes. He takes them with an alcoholic drink called pulque. After
Kino finishes eating, Juana eats at last. Though they do not verbally
speak, a sigh from Kino tells Juana that she has made a sweet meal.
TROUBLES BEGIN: THE SCORPION
Suddenly, Kino and Juana see a scorpion moving majestically towards

the hanging box where the innocent Coyottito is lying. Kino hears the
Song of Evil which overtakes the Song of the Family. Juana chants some
magic to force the scorpion away. – Is she not superstitious?
As Kino nears the scorpion, Coyottito laughs and shakes the scorpion
which falls on his shoulder and stings. Though Kino crushes it with bare
hands and finishes it with the foot, the baby cries so loudly. So sad right?
As a loving mother, Juana sucks the poison out from the puncture. Can
you do this? Neighbors have filled Kino’s house, among them, Juan
Tomas who is Kino’s brother, his wife Apolonia and their four children.
Coyottito begins to swell and can die any time soon. Juana tells Kino to
call the French Doctor in, but due to his lifestyle, he may not come. All
the people know about that. At this time Juana never hesitates but takes
the baby to the doctor.
All the people including her husband follow her. She is a strong and
loving woman I tell you.
As they pass through a pleasant looking city, various people including

beggars join them. The beggars know that Kino and his people are poor
just by looking at their dressing. They also know that the doctor is a cruel
man who cannot help the baby. Still they go on with them.
6
AT THE FRENCH DOCTOR’S GATE
At last they are at the doctor's gate. Sweet food smells can be smelt from
inside the gate. The compound is a paradise with a beautiful scenery.
Kino hesitates to knock on the gate. The doctor is a French and Kino an
Indian.
These two races hate each other due to racial differences. Kino’s race is
taken as animals. At last he knocks but filled with anger and fear.
The Music of Enemy is heard in his ears, (Refer to page 64 for meanings
of music). He has taken off his hat.
Then a servant, a fellow Indian, attends to him. Surprisingly, he never

speaks to Kino in their same language. After he explains his problems,
he is told to wait as he goes to inform the doctor about the issue.
INSIDE THE DOCTOR’S HOUSE
The doctor enjoys sweet chocolate, biscuits and drinks using materials
made in China. Life is unfair between these two worlds. Hypocritically,
religious pictures are all over the walls of his room. His late wife's
pictures are also there. He believes that the wife is in heaven since he is
a good person and paid masses for her to go there. He recalls the time
they had enjoyed while in France. Though the servant is near the doctor,
he never talks to him, waiting for a time that he will be recognised by the
doctor on his own - Is the doctor a good person?
After hearing the matter, he grows angry and says that he cannot cure
Indians, up to a point of comparing them to animals. He says:
‘I am a doctor, not a veterinary.’ (The Pearl, page 13)
Is that fair like serious? He thereafter sends the servant to check if Kino
has money.
7
BACK AT THE GATE
Sadly, Kino has eight ugly worthless pearls, which he folded in a paper
hidden under the blanket he has carried. Do you think they will be
assisted? Your guess is as good as mine.
After a moment, Kino is told that the doctor has gone out to attend to a
much serious case than theirs. Is this not killing? A baby is about to die
due to a scorpion bite but the doctor refuses to help. All the people
including the beggars, who guessed right, return to their places leaving
Kino and Juana with shame. This is so bad!
 Reflection: If you were Kino, what would you have done?
Finally, Kino wears his hat. Filled with anger, he smashes the doctor’s
gate heavily and injures his fist. Fresh blood is now oozing from it. This
is justifiable I think.
CHARACTER ANALYSIS FOR CHAPTER 1

In this first chapter, Mr. Oooky will not spoon feed you by explaining
various character traits. Thus, he will just help you on how to analyse
various characters based on what you have read.
The first thing is to critically reflect on what various characters do in

chapter one. Then mention their behaviors using suitable adjectives.
Finally, explain how such behaviour traits have been shown. It is not
difficult, trust me. For instance, explain how the following behaviors
have been shown by the given characters:
1. KINO
 Violent
 Protective
 Responsible
 Loving
 Grateful
8
2. JUANA
 Determined
 Responsible
 Dutiful
 Caring
 Strong minded
Then do the same with any other character of your choice. Is that
difficult to do? Mr. Oooky thinks no.
THEMES IN CHAPTER 1
1. RESPONSIBILITY
Juana shows responsibility by waking up early to prepare food for the

family. She also bathes the baby. She again sucks the poison from the
scorpion sting and takes the baby to the doctor.
2. POVERTY
Kino’s family lives in a bad house made from local and indigenous
materials. They sleep on a mat instead of on a bed. They also eat poor
quality food as compared to the doctor. Juana, Kino’s wife walks on
bare foot.
Lastly, they do not have money to pay to the doctor for Coyottito’s
treatment.
3. UNITY
All the villagers come to Kino’s house to comfort them in their trying
time. They also escort them to the doctor's house.
9
4. ANGER/VIOLENCE
Kino kills the scorpion with a bare hand and foot. He again smashes the
doctor’s gate and shades blood after he is denied of help.
5. RACIAL SEGREGATION
Kino is in an enmity with the doctor all because of differences in races.
 Do this for Mr. Oooky
Find and analyse five other themes from chapter one. Mind you a theme
should always be a noun or a noun phrase.
10
Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO ANALYSIS

STILL DAY ONE
MAIN EVENT: Kino finds ‘The Great Pearl’
SETTING: At the sea
CHARACTERS: Kino, Juana and Coyottito
I WILL NOT GIVE UP ON YOU
The same morning he is rejected by the evil Doctor, Kino goes to

search for the pearl in the sea. On the beach and inside the sea,
various organisms like crabs, lobsters, seahorses, algae and sea
grass are present. Pigs and dogs that cannot be fed properly by
their masters are searching for dead fish and sea birds. - What
theme is there?
If they find the pearl, they want to sell it and pay for the baby’s
treatment. Kino relies on an old canoe he got from his late father.
The father also got it from his father too. In Kino’s community, a
canoe is a valuable asset that a man can own. Being very old, it is
heavily plastered through a process known only to men and not
women. - So traditional and strange right?
GOING ONTO THE SEA
Kino has a rock, a basket and a rope. He lays his shoulder blanket
in the canoe on which Juana lays
Coyottito and is covered with a shawl to protect him from the sun.
On the stung shoulder, Juana puts some crushed sea weed as a
11
treatment. Mind you that the baby may die soon. It is the same
Juana who had sucked the poison from the baby’s shoulder who
at this time prepares this treatment. - Is she not a sweet mother?
Together, they push the canoe into the sea and begin their trip. As
a husband and a wife, they paddle the canoe such that it sails
faster. At last they arrive at an oyster bed, a place where many
oysters are found. Mind you that pearls are found inside oysters.
It is by chance that a person can find one.
KINO GOES INTO THE SEA
After taking off his clothes, Kino enters into the water carrying a
basket and tying to his body a rock, for fast drowning. He collects
many oysters in his basket. Then, he hears The Song of the Pearl
that Might Be. It foretells that he might find a pearl in one of the
collected oysters. In the canoe, Juana is praying for Kino and
involves some magic ways. She wants the gods to help Kino find
the pearl. Kino also hears The Song of the Undersea.
Kino stays in the water for more than two minutes. As he plans of
coming out, he finds a big oyster which increases his heartbeat.
He holds it very tight and never mixes it with the others.
IN THE CANOE: OPENING THE OYSTERS
As a supportive woman, Juana makes the boat stable so that Kino

should get in with no trouble. - Is this not love? Sure it is. Kino
puts the big oyster in the canoe and pulls the basket together with
the rock too.
Seeing how excited Kino looks due to the finding of the big
oyster, Juana pretends to look aside so as to hide her excitement.
So lovely right? To these people, it is not good to want a thing
12
too much because it makes one to lose good things. Kino spares
the great oyster so as to open it after opening the other small
oysters. He does just like that indeed.
After showing some hesitation to open the bigger oyster, Juana is

impatient and requests him to break it loose. She does this in a
lovely manner, and I am jealous of Kino for having this sugary
wife.
She put her hand on Coyottito’s covered head. “Open it,”

Juana said. (The Pearl, page 20)
KINO FINDS A GREAT PEARL
Slowly, Kino opens the big oyster and boom! He finds a very great
pearl that no one has ever seen before. It is perfect like a moon
and large like an egg of a sea-gull, just imagine. - How do you
think does this family feel at this time?
They cannot believe it. Juana cries with happiness as Kino holds
the great pearl in the same hand he smashed the doctor’s gate with.
THE BABY BEGINS TO HEAL
Do you remember what Juana put on the baby’s shoulder? Sea

weed right? -Yes of course. She then goes to check on the sick
child and begins to cry. - Is the baby dead? Maybe.
Kino goes to see for himself and guess what? – The baby is now
becoming fine due to Juana’s treatment.
It is now a double happiness. Isn’t it? Being now happy, Kino

holds the pearl tight and screams so loudly. The noise invites other
13
fellow pearl fishermen who come to see why Kino is screaming

like that.
Let us wait to see what happens in the next chapter.

1. KINO
 Responsible
After being denied of help by the doctor to have the baby treated due to
not having money, he goes into the sea to find the pearl for selling and
paying for the treatment.
 Strong
He manages to stay in the water for more than two minutes in search of
the pearl.
 Caring
He goes to see why Juana is crying after she notices the change in the
baby.
 Emotional
He becomes overexcited and screams after a double happiness, the
finding of the pearl and the getting well of the baby.
 Hopeful
He hopes that he would find a great pearl after he hears “The Song of
the Pearl that Might Be”. He again plans of opening the great oyster at
the end since he hopes to find a great pearl in it.
 Test Your Brain:
Find other five traits shown by Kino in chapter two.
14
2. JUANA
 Supportive
She supports Kino in propelling the canoe on the sea. She also helps
Kino to get well into the canoe by steadying it. Juana also prays for Kino
as he is down the sea looking for the pearl.
 Careful
She keeps on checking the baby’s condition regularly.
 Superstitious
She chants some magic as she wishes good luck for Kino. She also
believes in not wanting a thing too much since such doing drives the
luck away from a person for the decision is in the hands of the gods.
 Mr. Oooky is tired. Help him with other character traits for
Juana.
THEMES IN CHAPTER 2
1. TOGETHERNESS/UNITY/COLLABORATION
As a family, they go to the sea to search for the pearl which can be used
in sourcing the funds for Coyottito’s treatment. While there, they propel
the canoe on the sea together and when Kino gets into it from the sea,
Juana makes it steady.
Add you own points to explain this theme further based on what Kino
and Juana do in this entire chapter.
2. SUPERSTITION
Juana believes in chanting magic to cast away the bad spell from her
husband.
15
3. LOVE
Juana loves the sick baby by checking regularly about his health and
putting a traditional medicine on the stung shoulder.
4. THE REWARD OF HARDWORK
Due to his hard working spirit, Kino finds the Pearl.
 Dear reader, add your own themes, Mr. Oooky has to go to

chapter three.
 Health Break: Take a glass of water first.
16
Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE ANALYSIS

STILL DAY ONE
MAIN EVENT: Kino gets attacked
SETTING: In the house of Kino
CHARACTERS: Kino, Juana, Coyottito, Juan Tomas, The Priest, The

French Doctor, The Villagers, An Attacker
PEOPLE HOPE TO BENEFIT FROM KINO’S PEARL
Everyone in Kino’s society knows that he has ‘The Pearl of the World’
as it is called. They all want to benefit from it. Among them are various
influential public figures.
The first person to hear the news is The Priest. After hearing it, he
thinks of repairing the church. He would also like to baptise Kino’s
baby, on a fee. He also wants to officially get Kino and Juana married.
All he wants is money. - Is what this man of God doing a good thing?
The second persons to hear of the news are The Shopkeepers. They
hope that Kino will buy from their shops expensive clothes.
Then comes The French Doctor. - Do you remember him? He stops

treating an old lady and imagines going back to France, in Paris, eating
and drinking from expensive restaurants, all from the money that can
come after Kino’s pearl is sold. - Do you remember what he said in the
morning?
17
The Beggars are happy too. They think that Kino will share with them
money since poor people share things with others more than the rich do,
once they get treasures.
At last, The Pearl Buyers start thinking of the cheapest price possible
at which to buy the pearl. They are working under one boss who
promotes the one who buys the pearls at cheaper prices but sells them
at expensive ones.
Though Kino does not know of all this, the fact is that the pearl is
dangerous to him and his family.
KINO REVEALS HIS PLANS
Kino hears the Music of the Family again. All the villagers are back in
his small house including Juan Tomas and Apolonia. When Juan Tomas
asks him of his plans, Juana becomes excited and faces aside. She is
happily shy I tell you. Kino reveals the following plans to the gathered
people:
1. He will officially get married with Juana.

2. His family members will have new clothes.
3. He will have a gun (riffle).
4. Coyottito will be sent to a good school and know how to read.
INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE VISIT KINO
 THE PRIEST
As the gathered people plan to go to their homes, the priest comes. In

respect, men uncover their heads while women cover their faces with
shawls. The old father, the priest himself takes all these people as his
children.
He persuades Kino by telling him that his name is taken from the great
father of the church who did a lot of good things for the church. He then
18
tells Kino to pay back to God for helping him find the pearl. Juana
assures him that they will do so by getting married officially. Satisfied
with the answer, he goes back.
Once gone, Kino starts feeling unsafe. Juana prepares supper for the
family. What else can it be if not the usual corn cakes? Kino sees a thin
dog, hears sounds of crickets, frogs and toads. What can all these
symbolise? Bad omen indeed.
 Refresher break: Chew on a snack please.
 THE EVIL FRENCH DOCTOR
Once he comes, he is at first denied of entry into Kino’s house. He lies

to Kino that he was not home in the morning when Kino visited him. -
Is this true? In trying to reject him, Kino tells the doctor that Coyottito
is fine, but once he is shown his medical bag, Kino allows him in. He
even tells him how dangerous the poison of the scorpion can be. - How
can you characterise both Kino and the doctor?
Juana refuses giving the baby to the doctor, and only gives him once
Kino allows her by nodding his head. That shows the power that men
have over women in most communities. Not so?
The doctor tells Kino that Coyottito’s eyes have turned blue and makes
him see for himself. He is not sure if it is true or not. - This is a great
trap. Is that not funny? Kino is trapped.
COYOTTITO IS POISONED
The doctor gives the baby a poisonous powder in a capsule. He then

makes the baby drink a certain liquid. He then tells Kino and his wife
that had he not come, the poison would have killed the baby in the next
hour. He is so skilled at lying I tell you. He then promises to come back
to check the baby's condition.
19
KINO HIDES THE PEARL
It is now evening. Kino wraps the pearl in a rag and puts it in a hole he
digs on one corner of the house.
The doctor eats his sweet food as he awaits the time to revisit Kino. The
food does not taste sweet to him since his mind is on returning to Kino
and possibly inquiring about the pearl.
Contrary to the doctor's sweet food, while outside the house, Kino
enjoys a poor dish of corn cakes with beans taken with an alcoholic
drink called pulque.
I hope you can see the unfairness of life there. Then, a thin dog comes
near Kino again but he chases it away.
COYOTTITO BECOMES VERY ILL
Due to the poison that the doctor gave to Coyottito, he now has
difficulties in breathing, much saliva is coming out of the mouth, and
the stomach has developed some contractions. Kino is about to smoke
when Juana calls him in. As she cries, Kino suspects the powder that the
doctor gave to his kid as a cause for the problem.
Juana sings the Music of the Family to remove danger from the kid as
he vomits and twists in her hands. - So sad right? Kino hears the Music
of Evil at this time that the baby vomits so badly. The Song of the
Family has lost its power (See meanings of songs and Music on page 64
of this book).
As expected, the villagers are back in Kino’s house. Some say all these
problems are due to the pearl. Some say God should be allowed to
control over the situation. Some old village women are comforting the
crying Juana. This is a great supportive character right?
20
THE EVIL DOCTOR IS BACK
For the second time in one night, the doctor treats the baby, this time by
giving him an ammonia solution. He boasts to people that he knows
very much on how to treat a person of a poisonous scorpion sting. Kino
watches every step of what the doctor does this time to avoid the second
evil on the baby by him. Once the baby sleeps, he gives him to Juana
and brags again that he has won the fight.
The doctor pretends to know nothing of the great pearl when Kino says
that he will pay him after selling it. I salute this doctor a lot when it
comes to lying.
All the neighbors praise the pearl to confirm to the doctor how great it
is. The doctor persuades Kino to give it to him for safe keeping but Kino
denies his offer.
Cleverly, the doctor knows where Kino has hidden his pearl by looking
at the direction in which his eyes are looking. He then knows that he has
hidden it in one corner of the house.
Before he leaves the house, he warns Kino to be careful so that people

should not steal it from him. Then he goes back to his house.
KINO CHANGES THE PEARL’S POSITION
To protect his pearl from the doctor whom he suspects, Kino transfers
it from the corner and hides it in a hole under his mat. Kino is a careful
character right?
Juana knows that her precious husband fears some danger. Kino tells
his sweet wife that he indeed fears everyone.
 Refresher break: Take another half glass of water.
21
SLEEPING TIME FOR KINO’S FAMILY
Kino's family sleeps together this time, with Coyottito beside them and
not in the hanging box. I hope you know why? Kino has his first dream.
He dreams that Coyottito is reading from a book, big like a house

with big letters like dogs. The letters are playing on the page.
Suddenly, in the dream, darkness and the Music of Evil come. Kino
tries to fight in the dream as Juana watches him. Abruptly, he
wakes up to see what is in the house.
FIRST ATTACK ON KINO
Someone strange is in the house towards the corner where he had first
hidden the pearl. Whom do you think he is? Juana warns Kino by using
her hand. Kino gets his knife which he uses to stab the person with.
He misses the target for the first time and strikes through the cloth for
the second time. Badly, Kino is heavily smashed and falls to the ground.
He is in a pool of blood oozing from his forehead. So bad right?
 Reflection: What could you do if you were Juana?
JUANA NURSES KINO
As an affectionate wife, she lights the fire quickly and cleans Kino’s
wound with her head shawl. -Would you do this? Mind you Kino’s
forehead has blood all over. – Is Juana not a good example of a wife?
After seeing this trouble, Juana tells Kino that the pearl is evil.
She says it is like a sin which will destroy them and suggests the
following to Kino:
 They should throw it away.

 They should break it between stones.
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 They should bury it and forget the place.

 They should throw it back into the sea.
Kino disagrees by saying that the pearl is their only chance and through
it, their son will become educated and bring a difference to their
household. He warns Juana not to say that the pearl is evil anymore.
He says that once they sell it the following morning, all the troubles will
evaporate. He still has a knife in his hand that is smeared with blood.
DAY TWO BEGINS WITH HOPE
Though still dark, day two starts as Kino takes the pearl from the hole
he had put in and watches it. It is beautiful and gives hope to him. At
this point, they are filled with promise, delight, comfort and security.
Kino reflects on what happened under the sea as he listens to the Music
of the Undersea.
He is finally happy and forgets his pain. Juana looks at her smiling
husband and because they are one flesh, she cannot resist but smile
together with him. - I can see you smiling too. This second day of the
story starts with hope. I am jealous of the smile that Juana gives to Kino,
aren’t you?
Chapter three ends here. Look forward to chapter four as Mr. Oooky
takes you there.
23

1. KINO
 Ambitious/Visionary/Hopeful
He has many hopes that the pearl will do to his family. He tells people
of the four things that he will do once he sells the pearl. For the things
he says, go to page 18 of this book.
 Careful
He hides the pearl on the corner of his house as a way of not letting the
people find it. He transfers the pearl from the corner to under his mat
after suspecting that the doctor or other people might have known where
the pearl is.
He closely watches the doctor as he treats the baby for the second time
to avoid him giving the baby the same poisonous white powder.
 Protective
He fights the man who comes to attack them so as to protect his family
and the pearl. He denies the doctor an entry into the house in the first
place saying that his son is fine.
He protects his pearl by not giving it to the doctor who wants to keep it
for him.
2. JUANA
 Dutiful
She prepares corn cakes for the family’s supper.
 Protective
At first, she never wants to give the baby to the doctor for treatment
until Kino gives her a signal to do so.
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 Superstitious
She sings the Song of the Family to remove the danger from the child.
 Foresighted
She knows that the pearl will bring danger to the family since it is evil,
hence she suggests various ways to get rid of it.
 Caring
She nurses Kino’s wound by wiping out the blood oozing from his
forehead.
 Careful
She never leaves the baby in the hanging box but sleeps with him in her
arms to avoid another danger on him, this time may be much worse than
a scorpion.
3. THE FRENCH DOCTOR
 Clever
He pretends to know nothing of the pearl that Kino has. He deliberately
gives Coyottito a poisonous capsule so as to cure him later on. He shows
Kino a medical box so as to weaken his reason and be allowed to treat
his baby and it indeed happens like that.
 Observant
He observes the eyes of Kino to see in which direction they are looking
so as to know where the pearl has been hidden.
 Food for thought
 Whom do you suspect comes to attack Kino in his house that

night? Justify your answer.
25
 Analyse the following characters based on what they do in

chapter three:
 The Priest
 The Beggars
 Juan Tomas
 The Shopkeepers
 The Villagers
 The Pearl Buyers
 The Old Village Women
I know you have done them effectively. Congratulations for that.
THEMES IN CHAPTER 3
1. AMBITION/VISION/HOPE
Kino hopes to live a good life once he sells his pearl. For example, he
hopes of having new clothes, marrying Juana officially, having a gun
and sending Coyottito to school.
Though he is smashed heavily, Kino hopes to sell the pearl the next
morning and hopes to see all the troubles vanishing.
Juana also has a vision that the pearl may bring danger to the family
after seeing how her husband is hurt.
The Priest, doctor, beggars, shopkeepers and all the villagers have
hope that Kino’s pearl will benefit them in a certain way. (Refer to
page17 for what these people want)
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2. SUPERSTITION
Juana believes in singing the Song of the Family so as to remove

danger from the ill Coyottito. To add on that, sounds of different
organisms, various smells and appearance of weird animals like dogs
all symbolize evil things for Kino's family.
3. LOVE
Juana nurses the injured Kino with her head shawl and suggests
possible ways of getting rid of this evil pearl, according to her. Is that
not love dear reader?
 Continue this list with other five themes from chapter three. As
you do that, Mr. Oooky will be waiting for you in chapter four.
27
Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR ANALYSIS

DAY TWO
MAIN EVENT: Kino fails to sell The Pearl

SETTING: At the offices of The Pearl Buyers and in the house of
Kino
CHARACTERS: Kino, Juana, Coyottito, Juan Tomas, Apolonia, The
Villagers, The Beggars, The Pearl Buyers, The Attacker
THE PEARL SELLING DAY

On what day are we? Day two right? Let us move on then.
Everyone in La Paz, Kino’s nearby city knows that he is to sell his
pearl on this day. Apart from the fellow pearl fishermen, everyone is
geared for the day. These include people like the Chinese grocery
owners, the church members, the altar boys, the nuns, the beggars,
all the villagers and the pearl buyers themselves.
These buyers meet in advance to discuss the cheapest price at which to
buy the pearl. The one who buys it much cheaper than the others gets
promotion from their boss. Just imagine how important this day is.
No one is going into the sea to search for the pearls as they all want to
escort Kino. In their houses, fellow villagers discuss what they would
have done if the pearl was theirs. They say:
1. They would have given it as a gift to Pope in Rome. (‘Would give
it as a present to the Holy Father in Rome,’ The Pearl, page 43)
2. They would buy masses for their family members for one
thousand years.
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3. They would distribute the money they would have realized from
its selling to the poor people in La Paz.
The villagers then suggest that the pearl will destroy Kino and his
whole family. - They should be jealous of him right? We are yet to see.
PREPARING FOR THE PEARL SELLING JOURNEY
To Kino and Juana, this day is very great compared only to the birthday
of Coyottito. As such, Coyottito is dressed in clothes suitable for his
baptism day. Juana wears her marriage clothes as Kino puts on clean
white clothes though ragged. It is indeed a big day, not so? They
believe that their poverty ends on this day since they will get their pearl
sold. All the neighbors are again readily dressed to join Kino on this
life defining journey. To them, escorting Kino means friendship.
Juana puts Coyottito in her shawl and is let to be seeing all what
happens on this day so that he should be remembering them once he
grows up. Kino wears his hat and sandals as he wraps the pearl in an
old, soft piece of a deerskin and puts it in a leather bag. As if that is not
enough, he puts the bag in the pocket of his shirt. Finally, he covers
the side where the pearl is with his shoulder blanket. - What can you
say of him?
The journey starts with Kino in front, Juana second and Juan Tomas
third. Except Juan Tomas, Kino’s brother, no one is allowed to walk
near Kino. Everyone in the village go with Kino to sell the pearl as
seen from the sentence:
The houses belched people, the doorway spewed out children. (The
Pearl, pages 44 - 45)
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
The people have embarked on the journey to sell the pearl. Juan Tomas
warns Kino to be careful with the prices he can sell the pearl at. They
remind each other that in the past, the pearls had to be given to one
29
person to sell for a group of people and bring them money. However,
some people were not returning with either the money or the pearls,
hence making Kino and his people lose trust in man and begin going
to sell the pearls personally.
Kino says God was not happy with this practice of sending one person,
since he wants every person on earth to be doing their part and not
heavily banking on others. This was preached by their priest he says.
Kino is at this point religious.
No one is allowed to speak or make noise and not even to cough. Any
child who does so is silenced by the elders. The day is very serious I
tell you.
Just imagine, an old man is carried on the shoulders of his nephew

since he cannot walk. All he wants is to witness how Kino will sell the
pearl, is that not funny? I die of laughter when I read this part. As they
enter the town, the beggars and shops’ owners together with their
customers join them.
 Wait first: Have a two minutes break, please.
IN THE OFFICE OF THE PEARL BUYERS
Once they notice that Kino is approaching, they get prepared. Kino
enters and meets a stout buyer. Kino tells him that he has a pearl. This
does not please Juan Tomas who feels like Kino would have done
better in emphasizing how great the pearl is. The buyer says that he
expects people who come to sell the pearls to bring with them a dozen
of the same and not a single one. He orders Kino to show him the pearl.
Kino proudly takes out the pearl and puts it in a tray of the buyer. -
How do you think will the buyer react? Ironically, there is no sign on
his face that he is touched with the greatness of the pearl. However, he
misses the coin he is tossing behind his desk. He again curls his fist
30
with much astonishment. All these show that he is desperate for Kino's
pearl though he does not openly show it.
He picks and closely looks at it. Kino and the villagers are eagerly
waiting for what he will say next. After a moment, he inspects it as he
tosses it back and forth. Children are all over the windows and some
are watching the scene through in between the legs of their elders. No
one wants to miss this scene and hear his speech hence everyone is
noiseless.
FIRST DISSAPOINTING ANSWER
To the surprise of everyone, the buyer smiles in a rude manner. Then

he tells Kino and all the people that the pearl is nothing but ‘a fool’s
gold’, which means it is rubbish and no one can buy it. - Dear reader,
is this fair? Kino tries to justify the greatness of his pearl by saying:
It is the ‘Pearl of the World’. No one has ever seen such a pearl. (The
Pearl, page 41)
Sadly, the buyer insists that it is worthless. He even tells Kino that if
he wishes, he can buy it at One Thousand Pesos and give it to a
museum of seashells. - Is that what we expected? Kino becomes angry
and tells the buyer that his pearl is worth Fifty Thousand Pesos and
that he cannot be cheated.
All the villagers agree with him through their noisy murmuring. The
buyer becomes afraid and tells Kino that he will invite in other buyers
to inspect the pearl.
Guess what now? The villagers start to believe that the pearl is indeed
worthless. They wish that Kino would have just accepted the one
thousand pesos since he has nothing at this time. - Are they good
friends?
31
On the other side, Kino is stranded. He hears the Music of Evil. The
other buyers enter and everyone is silent. Kino becomes weak due to
this poor start and only becomes strong again after looking in Juana’s
eyes. - This is sweet love right?
The other buyers now come in. Cleverly, they do not face each other
to avoid being suspected of having discussed already on the prices of
the pearl.
SECOND DISSAPOINTING ANSWER
The first invited buyer looks at the pearl and tells the people that he
cannot talk on the price of the pearl because it is very much bad. He
excuses himself by saying:
“Do not include me in the discussion…” (The Pearl page 51)
THIRD DISSAPOINTING ANSWER
The second invited pearl dealer says that the pearl is of low quality and
it will soon lose its looks.
He uses a magnification glass to cheat Kino, who sees the magnified

surface of the pearl that looks very strange this time. Another trap there
for this ignorant Kino.
FOURTH DISSAPOINTING ANSWER
The third invited buyer takes the pearl and tells Kino that if he buys it,
he will sell it to his client. This time worse than the first offer, he offers
to buy it at Five Hundred Pesos, exactly half way down than the first
offer, and says that he would sell it at Six Hundred Pesos. - It is too
much a disappointment I tell you.
32
KINO REFUSES TO SELL THE PEARL
With anger and pity, Kino snatches the pearl from the man and puts it
back into his shirt. The first man who welcomed Kino reminds him of
his first offer of One Thousand Pesos which he says is better than that
offered by others. Kino denies it and tells them that he is not a person
to be cheated. He will sell it to the capital.
After a quick discussion, the first man offers 1500 Pesos for the pearl.
They are afraid of their boss who cannot entertain this failure. This is
too late because Kino is already on his way to his home as all the others
follow him. It has been a fruitless journey
 Reflection: If you were among the villagers with Kino on this

unsuccessful long trip, what could you do?
BACK HOME
The neighbors discuss the long fruitless trip of the morning. Some
suggest that Kino could have just accepted all the prices he was offered
since he is poor. Some support his denial to sell it and his decision to
sell it to the capital. Some think that Kino has started troubles for
himself by such a denial. We are yet to see who is true. - Are you proud
of Kino’s action yourself?
In his house, Kino thinks of his oncoming long journey to the capital,
over one thousand miles away. He has some fear since he begins to
realize that many people may turn against him. Despite all that, he is
ready to do everything for his family.
KINO HIDES THE PEARL AGAIN
As Juana nurses and cleans Coyottito, she sees her husband burying
the pearl under a stone of the fire hole. He is a careful man. Juana
prepares the corn cakes for supper.
33
JUAN TOMAS VISITS KINO
Later that night, Kino’s brother praises Kino for standing strong to act
against the corrupt structure of the buyers. He tells him that their race
has been under oppression since birth. However, he warns him that
since his pearl is of great value, he is yet to face a lot of problems.
Kino tells the brother that he will go to the capital the next morning.
Juan Tomas warns him that he will have no friends, nor relatives there
hence he needs to be careful.
Kino cries and tells the brother that he has no option but to go for the
sake of his family’s happiness. Juan Tomas wishes Kino God's
guidance and protection. Kino wishes the same to his brother when he
goes back to his house by saying:
“Go with God.” (The Pearl, page 54)
KINO FEELS INSECURE
Once Juan Tomas goes back to his house, Kino hears a dark Music of
the Enemy. Every sound is now strange in his ears. Every smell and
sight are again bad. At this time, he feels so insecure. Juana knows that
her sweetheart is not normal and as a loving wife, she never talks to
him since that is the only way she can help.
Juana hears the Song of Evil but as a strong woman, she tries to send
it away by singing The Song of the Family. This song is very important
in this story for it signifies safety, warmth and wholeness of the family.
She sounds very strong as she sings to Coyottito in an attempt to keep
the evil away. – I personally love Juana, judge me not.
Kino never wants to eat his supper and Juana does not force him.
Suddenly, something is moving outside the brush house. Without
delay, he gets his knife and goes out. Juana thinks of stopping him but
she does not.
34
 Let us break a bit.
SECOND ATTACK ON KINO
Shortly after going out, Juana hears a sound of a blow on someone.

Without fear, she carries a stone and goes to see what it is. Sadly, Kino
lies flat on the ground, failing to speak, move or rise. The people who
have hurt him cannot be seen.
JUANA TURNS INTO KINO’S NURSE AGAIN
Juana holds Kino tightly and brings him into the house. He is in much
blood oozing from a deep cut extending from his ear to chin. - So
terrifying right?
He is half naked. Juana wipes the blood with her skirt. She then gives
him pulque to drink, but sadly, he cannot drink.
With a sad face, she asks of who attacked him. Kino does not know the
person. Love still rules as Juana washes the deep cut with water. While
crying, she asks Kino if he can hear her and in a faint voice he says
yes.
Juana repeats to him the same things she had told him about the pearl
on the first attack. – See page 22 of this book if you happen to forget.
KINO FORSAKES JUANA’S ADVICE

Kino hates it when Juana says that the pearl is evil. He assures her that
he has to fight and protect it since it is their only way to prosperity. He
embraces her shoulder and assures her that he is a man hence he fears
nothing.
His plan is to go to the capital using his canoe in the following
morning. Juana tells Kino that even a man can be killed and requests
him to let it go.
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At this, Kino becomes angry and commands her to be quite.

“Hush,” he said fiercely. “I am a man. Hush,” and she was silent,
for his voice was command. (The Pearl, page 56)
Finally, he speaks softly to Juana so as to make her not worry anymore.

He romantically caresses her cheek which makes her give in to Kino’s
demand – Close your eyes and imagine the feeling.
She is no longer afraid now. Then they sleep waiting for the morning
to go and sell the pearl.
Do you think that Juana will indeed sleep? Just wait as we find out in
chapter five.

1. KINO
 Confident
He walks confidently from his house on his way to sell the pearl to the
buyers. He proudly walks into the office of the buyers and is confident
to say that his is ‘The Pearl of the World’.
 Careful
He carefully hides his pearl in a deerskin which he puts in his pocket.
He then covers his shoulder with his blanket. All this is to keep it safe.
He later on hides his pearl under a stone of a fireplace in his hut.
 Strong
He denies selling the pearl to the crooked buyers at a lower price. He
even snatches it from them. He goes outside the house at night with no
fear so as to see what is moving around and definitely protect his
family.
36
 Determined
Though he is badly cut, he never listens to Juana when she tells him to
let go of the pearl. All he wants is to sell the pearl and have money.
 Emotional
He cries when speaking to his brother due to his heartbreak. He also
becomes angry at Juana and orders her to be quite once she talks of the
pearl as being evil.
 Loving
He suddenly changes and becomes romantic to Juana when he caresses
her so as to calm her down.
2. JUANA
 Supportive
She stands by Kino all the time like by going with him to the pearl
buyers. She also supports him to get into the house after he is brutally
injured.
 Caring
She nurses Kino’s wound with her skirt and water. - Can you do that
yourself?
 Understanding
She never talks to Kino when she sees that he is upset and not in the
mood of talking. She also never forces Kino to eat because she
understands that he is not in the mood.
 Strong
She goes out of the house to see who attacks Kino though being at
night and her being a woman.
37
 Cautious/Foresighted
She knows that the pearl will bring disasters to the family and tells
Kino to let it go though he refuses everything.
3. JUAN TOMAS
 Supportive
He stands with Kino as he goes to sell the pearl. Then he comforts the
brother when they come back from the unsuccessful pearl selling trip.
 Religious
He wishes Kino God’s guidance on his journey to the capital by telling
him to ‘Go with God’.
 Cautious
He warns Kino to be careful of the prices at which to sell the pearl. He
also warns Kino about the oncoming danger that is yet to affect him
due to his pearl. He also tells him to be careful when he goes to the
capital since he will have no relations there.
4. THE PEARL BUYERS
 Crooked/Clever
They try to crook Kino by giving him well planned reasons to convince
him that his pearl is of poor quality. They do this only to buy it at a
cheaper price.
 United/Professional
They meet in advance as a group so as to agree on the lowest price at
which to buy the pearl.
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5. THE VILLAGERS
 Supportive
They all go with Kino to sell the pearl.
 Desperate
They lose hope with the action of Kino by not selling the pearl.
THEMES IN CHAPTER 4
1. IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY
Kino feels secure with the presence of his wife, Juana and his brother,
Juan Tomas who support him in everything.
In addition to that, Juana is made not to fear anything since her

husband, Kino, promises to provide her security.
2. VIOLENCE
Kino is violently attacked at night and is heavily injured as he is cut

from ear to chin.
3. HOPE
Kino hopes to have the pearl sold at all cost once he arrives at the pearl
buyers’ offices.
Though he becomes unsuccessful at the selling of the pearl and is then

attacked, he hopes to have it get sold at the capital.
39
4. ASSURANCE
Juan Tomas assures Kino that things will work out for him though it
will not be a smooth ride. Kino also assures Juana that though he is
attacked, he will sell the pearl in the morning to come at the capital.
5. COURAGE
Kino courageously goes out of the house at night and attacks the person
who is against his family. Juana also picks up a stone and goes to help
the treasured husband at night. She shows much courage by doing this,
a thing that most women cannot do. - Am I lying?
6. TRUE LOVE
Juana nurses the wound of Kino with her skirt. Kino caresses the cheek
and shoulder of his dear Juana.
 End of chapter reflection:
Does the love shown in this chapter between Juana and Kino
exist in your community? Justify by providing examples.
40
Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE ANALYSIS

DAY THREE
MAIN EVENT: Kino kills a person
SETTING: In Kino’s house; at the sea; in Juan Tomas’ house
CHARACTERS: Kino, Juana, Coyottito, Juan Tomas, Apolonia,

Attackers and Villagers
This is the shortest chapter of “The Pearl” and takes place from the
dawn to the night of the third day.
JUANA DOES A DANGEROUS THING
Though they have agreed to sleep and sell the pearl at the capital on
the approaching morning, Juana does the opposite. She wakes up in the
dark dawn and gets the pearl from where Kino had put it. Kino sees
Juana going out of the house. Before she goes out, she checks that the
baby, Coyottito, is safely asleep.
With great fury, Kino begins to run after her as she breaks into a speedy
running. - Where do you think is she going with the pearl? Yes, to
throw it back into the sea, a thing that Kino has been refusing to do.
What will happen if he catches her?
KINO BEATS UP JUANA
As she raises her arm to throw the pearl into the sea, Kino jumps on
her and snatches it up. I hope you can visualize what happens. He then
strikes her in the face such that she falls down to the stones and gets
injured. Kino is not yet done. He kicks her again. - This is strange
41
right? Kino has beaten up Juana for the first time, all because of the
pearl.
With much anger, he hisses at her like a snake. Juana never fears nor
hides her face from him. She faces her husband directly without fear
and intimidation though she knows that he can kill a person at this time.
- What could you do being Juana? She is like a sheep ready to be
slaughtered.
Kino goes back leaving the injured Juana alone on the spot. - Is he a
good husband? Has he already forgotten all what Juana has done for
him just a few hours ago? Mr. Oooky cannot judge.
THIRD ATTACK ON KINO AND HIS FIRST MURDER
As he goes back, strangers who are after the pearl attack him. They
beat him up and he falls to the ground. This makes him displace the
pearl. He however fights bravely and kills one of them. Yes, you heard
me well, Kino has killed a person for the first time. - What will follow?
Let us wait and see.
JUANA FINDS THE PEARL
Juana washes her bruised face with the salty sea water before starting
to go home. Her clothes are wet. Surprisingly, she has no dislike and
grudge against Kino. She still has much love for him, just imagine. On
the way, she finds the pearl lost by Kino. She is in a dilemma whether
to go back and throw it in the sea or give it to Kino. - So tricky right?
What could you do if you were Juana?
As she continues going home, she finds that two bodies are lying in the
path. One is Kino and the other one is the person he has killed. The
dead man has blood oozing from the throat. She knows that Kino has
invited great trouble by killing this person. She pulls the dead body and
hides it on a certain bush. Characterise her please.
42
JUANA NURSES KINO FOR THE THIRD TIME
Despite being heavily smashed and abandoned just some few minutes
ago by this same Kino, she cleans his bruised face with her wet skirt
again. - Would you do this? Kino cries that he has lost his pearl instead
of crying for killing a person. So complicated is this man. Juana calms
him down by giving him back the pearl.
“Hush,” she said. “Here is your pearl. I found it in the

path…” (The Pearl, page 61)
She reminds him of having killed a person, a thing that Kino justifies
by saying that he wanted to save his life. She thereafter suggests that
they have to run away to a far place since the pearl dealers, those that
they have killed one of their men, may seek revenge. Kino agrees to
this brilliant proposal this time.
KINO’S DOUBLE MISFORTUNE
Kino sends Juana to go to the house and get the baby and some basic
items so as to carry when they are running away. He goes to ready the
canoe. Sadly, he finds his canoe with a big hole on it such that it cannot
sail on water. Mind you he relies only on this asset for survival.
Kino rushes towards the house with only his pearl and the knife. It
never rains but pours for Kino since he meets Juana who tells him that
their house is on fire. Juana has managed to save Coyottito and Kino’s
shoulder blanket only. She says the house was torn up and Coyottito’s
sleeping box was turned out too. They both do not know who has done
that.
Kino asks, “who?” “I don’t know,” she said, “the dark ones.”
Hiding by the fire shadows, Kino takes his family into Juan Tomas’
house without the owners noticing them since they are busy putting out
43
the fire. Outside the house, the neighbors are crying for they believe
that the family of Kino has been burnt to ashes.
HOUSE ARREST FOR KINO’S FAMILY
On this morning of day three, Apolonia, the wife to Juan Tomas, goes
to her house to change her dressing. - Guess what? Kino tells her to
stop crying for they are not dead. Is this not a comedy? - Do not laugh
alone please. Apolonia finds this scene too much confusing to be true.
When Juan Tomas is called into the house, he orders the wife not to
allow anyone come in.
“Apolonia, see to the door, and do not let anyone enter.” (The
Pearl, page 64)
Everyone respects what he says. Kino explains to his brother the three
life-threatening matters which have happened so speedily.
1. He has killed a person as he tried to defend himself.

2. His canoe has been broken.
3. His house has been burnt to ashes.
Juan Tomas says all this is due to the pearl. Is he lying? Just like Juana,
he says there is a devil in the pearl and Kino should let it go if he wants
peace.
Since they will leave tonight, Kino is allowed to spend the whole day
in Juan Tomas’ house. This decision is risky since once discovered,
both families, Kino’s and Juan Tomas’ are in danger. - Do you see the
importance of family there?
Kino compares himself to a leprosy hence he never wants to bring

harm to his brother. Juan Tomas orders Apolonia not to tell anyone
that Kino is in the house.
44
Outside the house, they can see people searching for their bones and
sharing news of their death and how their canoe has been broken. So
funny but sad.
Juan Tomas shows love by making sure that people do not suspect that
Kino is in his house. Thus he says:
 Kino may have escaped towards the south along the sea coast.
 Kino may have used another boat to sail on the sea.
 Kino may have drowned if he went on the sea by another
boat.
 Apolonia is crying terribly due to the death of Kino, her
brother in-law and Juana, her sister in-law, together with the
baby, Coyottito.
PREPARATION FOR THE DEPARTURE TO THE CAPITAL
Juan Tomas and Apolonia prepare some beans, dried pepper, salt and
rice for Kino’s family to carry. Kino is given a long knife, eighteen
inches long, heavy like an axe, for protection and he is very happy. -
Do you remember what weapon Kino wants to have? Remind yourself
please.
It is night time when Kino tells Juan Tomas that they will go to the
cities of the north. He is told to avoid using the shore route since he
may be easily caught. Once he is asked if he still has the pearl, he
agrees. He says that he would have given it to him as a farewell gift
but he cannot since it is as a misfortune that has to remain with himself.
He also says it is his life, just imagine.
As Coyottito starts to cry, Juana speaks some magic words to silence

him. Juan Tomas assures Kino that their footprints will not be seen if
they are to be followed since the night is windy.
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KINO DEPARTS FOR THE CAPITAL
The night has now fallen. The moon has not yet shone. Coyottito is on
Juana's back-wrapped in a shawl. Juana covers her nose with the same
shawl to protect herself from evil air of the night. What character can
you give to her? I heard you saying, ‘she is superstitious.’
Congratulations for that, it is true.
As a farewell, Juan Tomas kisses Kino on both cheeks as he repeats
the same wish of “Go with God”. When Kino is asked if at all he will
give up the pearl, despite all these troubles he is facing, he says:
“This pearl has become my soul. If I give it up, I shall lose

my soul.” (The Pearl, page 66)
This shows that he is not ready to lose the pearl regardless of what
complications may come his way. He finally wishes for Tomas God’s
protection when he says:
“Go though also with God”. (The Pearl, Page 66)
At last they leave the house and are on their way to the capital.
 Food for thought
What will happen on their way?

Will they sell the pearl at the capital?
How long will it take for them to reach there?
Wait for the answers to these and other more questions as Mr. Oooky
takes you to chapter six.
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1. KINO
 Violent
He defies his deep cut and runs to the sea where he hits Juana so hard.
He also kills a person on his way back from the sea.
 Ungrateful
He never appreciates the good things that Juana has just done on the
same night that he beats her up hard.
 Protective
He kills a person in an attempt to protect himself and not lose the pearl.
 Careful
He walks behind shadows as he goes to hide in Juan Tomas' house after
his house gets burnt.
 Determined
He never wants to give up the pearl though he has suffered a lot. This
is seen when he is asked by his brother.
2. JUANA
 Humble
She never reacts when Kino beats her up at the sea.
 Courageous
She takes the pearl and wants to throw it back into the sea though she
knows that Kino may do anything terrible once he finds out.
 Foresighted
She tells Kino to run away to avoid being killed by the men of the city
since he has killed one of them.
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 Forgiving
She forgives Kino after being beaten up such that she never returns to
throw back the pearl into the sea when she comes across it.
 Superstitious
She believes that some dark figures have set their house on fire. She
speaks some magic words so as to make the baby stop crying.
 Caring
She nurses Kino’s bruised face once he is attacked by the strangers at
night. She uses her wet skirt. Before leaving the house on her way to
the sea, she checks that the baby is safe and fine.
 Strong
She manages to rescue the baby, Coyottito and save Kino’s shoulder
blanket from the burning house.
3. JUAN TOMAS
 Loving
He accepts to keep Kino’s family in his house though it is dangerous.
He also gives a lot of items to Kino so that they should use on their
long journey to the capital.
 Authoritative
He orders Apolonia to close the door to avoid people noticing that Kino
is in their house. He also tells Apolonia not to tell anyone that Kino is
in the house.
 Pretending
He cooks up many stories just in pretending so as to make the people
believe that Kino is indeed dead.
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 Religious
He wishes God’s guidance for Kino and his family on their long trip.
4. APOLONIA
 Submissive
She respects every order that Juan Tomas and Kino give her.
 Faithful
She remains faithful to Kino’s family by not revealing to anyone that
they are hiding in their house. If she did so, it would have been
betrayal.
Do this for Mr. Oooky:
 Find other traits for:

 Kino
 Juana
 Juan Tomas
 Apolonia
 Analyse the character traits shown by the villagers.
THEMES IN CHAPTER 5
1. VIOLENCE
Kino violently beats up Juana that she is badly injured. Kino is attacked
on his way back from the sea such that he kills one person. Kino’s
canoe is violently broken by unknown people. Kino’s house is dug,
torn up and finally set on fire.
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2. FORGIVENESS
Juana forgives Kino who has just beaten her so badly such that when
he is injured, she nurses him. She even returns the lost but found pearl
to him.
Kino is helped by Juana when he is injured on his way back home from
the sea. If Juana was not there, none would nurse his wounds. Juana,
Kino’s family member, recovers the lost pearl for Kino. If she was not
there, it would be lost forever. Juana gets the baby safe from the
burning house. If the baby had no family nearby, he would die. Kino
and Juana relies on the family of Juan Tomas for hiding and receives
from them items to carry on their long trip.
4. MURDER
Kino kills a person by stabbing him on the throat in an attempt to

protect himself.
5. FAKED DEATH
The villagers mourn the fake death of Kino, Coyottito and Juana.
Do this for Mr. Oooky:
 Some scholars blame Juana’s action for all the

misfortunes in chapter five. Argue for and against this
claim using well explained points.
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Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX ANALYSIS

DAY THREE, FOUR AND FIVE
MAIN EVENT: The Death of Coyottito
SETTING: In the mountain, at the water pool and at the sea
CHARACTERS: Kino, Juana, Coyottito, The Three Trackers and

The Villagers
This is the longest chapter of this book.
KINO AND JUANA WALK AT NIGHT
It is still night of day three. For the whole night, Kino and Juana
silently walk at the same pace and no one notices their passage through
the city, going to Loreto. Despite being such a night with a harsh windy
weather, they still move on.
After getting far from the city, the wind dies down, and there is fear
that their footprints can be recognised. Though coyotes - keep this
name for use in the later part of this chapter- which are animals like
dogs, owls and other dangerous animals are met with on the way, but
still they continue.
DAY FOUR BEGINS
KINO’S FAMILY TAKES A REST
It is now day time of the fourth day. Kino finds a place and hides his
family. He sweeps their footprints away from the road to avoid being
traced. Then, a wagon speedily passes by and removes the footprints
which pleases Kino.
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With love, Juana gives him some corn cakes to eat before she sleeps.
Kino then sees ants moving on the ground. He tries to block them with
his foot but they climb over it. What can this symbolise? It symbolises
that he cannot be stopped by anyone despite meeting any obstacles. -
We are yet to confirm if it will be so indeed.
After Juana wakes up from the sleep, an interesting conversation takes

place. Kino tells her to be careful of the things that she already knows.
Surprisingly, she listens with a smile and never stops him. I like this
part. Kino tells her the following:
 Not to touch a certain tree which can lead her into being blind
once she touches her eyes with that same hand thereafter.
 Not to break a certain tree which is believed to have red blood
and brings evil luck.
When Juana asks him if they may be followed, Kino agrees. Juana then
suggests that the pearl is of no value as the buyers had suggested in the
morning. Kino disputes that as he holds and looks at it.
He says that people would have not attacked him if it had no value,
though he does not know who attacked him.
KINO SEES EVIL IN THE PEARL

Once he looks inside the pearl, those good visions are now substituted
by the following evils:
1. He sees a bloody dead body of the man he killed yesterday
when coming from the sea.
2. He sees Juana failing to walk after being heavily beaten up
by him, at the sea.
3. He sees Coyottito very ill from The Doctor’s poisonous
medicine
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After seeing these strange things, he puts the pearl back into his shirt.
The Music of the Pearl now turns into The Music of Evil.
It is now Kino’s turn to sleep and Juana guards him. This family has
love I tell you. Flies are all around Juana’s swollen mouth. - Do you
know why she is swollen? Remind yourself please. As Coyottito wakes
up, she plays with him and the baby smiles with this loving mother.
She then gives him some water.
KINO HAS A HORRIBLE DREAM
As he is sleeping, he dreams that someone is attacking him. He

fights back in the sleep and suddenly wakes up from the terrible
dream.
After being asked of what is happening by Juana, he silences her. She

gives him a corn cake to eat and he eats it slowly as he tries to listen to
any strange sound.
THREE TRACKERS FOLLOW KINO
Hiding behind a thorny tree, he sees three people following them. One
is on a horse back and has a gun, being led by two others, on foot.
These are experts at tracking people’s feet.
Kino plans to kill the horse man and get his gun, a thing he has been
wanting so much. As the men approach, Coyottito makes noise and
Juana breastfeeds him.
KINO IS ALMOST CAUGHT
At last, the three men are very near to Kino and he sees their feet. They
inspect the place closely since they see broken tree-twigs and leaves,
things that tell them that Kino is just around.
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Will they not find him? Wait and see. He is filled with fear and holds
his breath before the trackers begin to go away after a long time. They
may be back soon, Kino knows that.
Completely disturbed, he goes to Juana and narrates the story. He

suggests to Juana of giving himself up to the trackers. Juana cries and
says that he will be killed even if he gives up the pearl. Kino is now
weak.
 Put your thought:
What should Kino do at this time?
KINO MOVES TO A HIGHER PLACE
In an attempt to protect the family, Kino takes the family further in the
mountains. Mind you that they have luggage with them. Kino clears
the way as Juana follows him. With the hot sun and the rocky paths,
the going is now becoming tough. The Music of Evil continues to ring
in his mind. As they rest, Juana feeds water to Coyottito. Kino notices
that the trackers cannot be seen at this time.
JUANA SAYS NO TO KINO
After checking Juana's feet, he notices that they are cut and scratched.
He then tells her to hide around this place and let him continue with
the journey.
According to him, once the trackers go past where Juana will be hiding
in an attempt to follow Kino, she should go to Loreto or Santa Rosalia,
cities in Mexico, where Kino would find her. - Do you think Juana will
agree to this?
Without being shaken, Juana says no to Kino’s idea. Though Kino says
that she may put the baby in danger, she insists to go with him. -
Characterise her? This courage from his lady gives Kino great strength.
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They then continue to go together. Kino does not walk in straight route
but in zigzags so as to mislead the trackers. He is clever right?
AT A WATER POOL
They now have no water. Luckily, they arrive at a water pool. Juana
washes Coyottito’s face before feeding him water. Kino drinks too. As
Kino looks from a distance, the trackers are again following them. He
then hides his family in a cave. Kino supports Juana as they go towards
the cave.
LIFE IN THE CAVE
While in the cave, Kino says that they will go to the lower areas once
the trackers have gone past them.
He warns Juana not to allow the baby cry. She assures him that he will
not cry since the baby himself knows everything that they are passing
through. – Just imagine.
TRACKERS ARRIVE AT THE POOL
Kino is no longer safe. The trackers have arrived at the same pool that
he had been with his family. They eat and smoke. Coyottito makes
noise but Juana uses her shawl to stop him. Down there, two are
sleeping and one is awake with a gun guarding.
Take a break and think over this.
 You know that Kino wants a riffle. What should he do

now to get it that it is near him?
KINO CREATES A DANGEROUS PLAN
Kino tells the dear Juana of his great plan. He plans to go and kill the
leader of the three trackers using his long knife, get his gun and use it
to kill the other two.
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Juana warns him that he may be seen since he has worn white clothes,
but he disputes. He says that he will go before the moon rises. If it
happens that he gets killed, Kino tells Juana to run to Loreto the
following morning. She holds his hand tightly as in not wanting him to
go but Kino insists to go. At last, she allows him and wishes him God’s
guidance.
Kino touches the baby’s head, possibly for the last time while the baby
is still alive. How? Let us wait and see. Then, he caresses Juana’s cheek
and goes into the darkness. What a farewell! So romantic right?
KINO GOES DOWN TO ATTACK
Following Juana’s warning, he takes off his white clothes and puts on
ragged ones. He carefully puts his knife around his neck. Coyottito is
sleeping. As usual, Juana prays and chants a mixture of magic and
religious prayers, all in wishing good for her lovely Kino.
Slowly, he moves towards the men and never lets the knife hit any
rock. He never makes any noise. The Music of the Enemy is heard
though what is heard much louder is the Song of the Family. This song
gives him strength.
It takes him many minutes to reach the bottom of the mountain. He

opens his mouth very wide so as to avoid his breath from making any
panting sound. He lets sometime to pass so as to go back to his normal
breathing pattern.
He is now near the man with a gun. The moon is about to rise and he
may be seen. The baby can also cry after waking up from the sleep.
What kinds of conflicts are these? – Refer to a book entitled “How to
Analyse a Short Story and Other Literary Writings” for more on these
and other types of conflicts.
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THINGS GET HORRIBLE
As he starts to go and attack, the moon rises. He now sees the man
clearly. He wants to jump and kill the gunman before he is noticed, as
the two others are sleeping.
Unfortunately, Coyottito cries. The gunman wakes up his friend and

asks him of what the cry could be. The sleepy friend suggests it to be
of a coyote, a dog like animal. Things are not good now. Coyottito
cries again which makes the gunman suspect it of being a human cry.
He wants to shoot so as to silence the crying coyote. Is this safe? We
are yet to see.
 Break time.
Chew on some nuts please. Having a five minutes break is

again a good idea.
KINO TURNS INTO A DEADLY WEAPON
As the man shoots, Kino attacks him but it is too late. Though he jumps
high and holds the gun, the bullet is already gone straight to the cave
where his family is. - What will follow? I do not know too. Using his
knife, Kino kills the gunman and grabs the gun from him.
He then uses the gun to kill the other tracker after crushing the head of
the other one.
THE SADDEST EVENT
Yes he has killed the three men, but sadly, Kino finds Juana crying in
the cave. Coyottito has been shot dead by the bullet from the gunman.
It is too much since the top of his head has been shot away. The
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innocent Coyottito, never knowing what is happening, loses his life.

So unfair I tell you. I am about to cry right now, aren’t you?
THE FRUITLESS RETURN
Back in La Paz, Kino’s city, everyone is waiting for their return. The
return happens on the last day of this story, day number five.
They arrive in the late afternoon as the sun is setting. Among all the
things he had told the villagers that his pearl will help him have, what
do you remember? He has a gun finally. He still has the pearl but has
lost the baby. As they arrive, no one speaks to them.
They are weak and walk like dolls. No one believes what they see.
They see Juana carrying a dead baby body, full of thick blood. So sorry
is this image right? The family hears the Song of the Family which is
now not sweet as before.
THE PEARL RETURNS HOME
They go straight to the sea. Why do you think? To throw back the pearl
indeed. Is it not too late? Kino drops the gun and takes out the pearl.
He looks into it for the usual visions. Sadly, this time he sees:
 The dead man he had killed in the pool

 The dead Coyottito without the top part of his
head
These things show that the pearl is no longer beautiful and pleasant as
Kino used to claim it is. Finally, he gives the pearl to the strong Juana
for her to throw it back into the sea. She cannot accept this nonsense.
She says that Kino should be the one doing the deed.
Powerfully, he throws it back into the sea. Once he does this, the Music
of the Pearl is no longer heard and peace is retained to the family. Hey
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dear reader, but what is peace after all, when someone innocent has
lost his life?
I find this ridiculous. You can cry at this story but do not do it that
louder.

1. KINO
 Brave/Determined/Strong
He walks at night through the city all the way to the mountains without
fearing anything and anyone. That is to say, despite the city people,
coyotes, owls and other dangerous animals that make them less secure,
he strongly guides his family.
Again, he goes on with the journey despite the unfriendly weather of

the night.
 Caring
He makes sure that his family is safe by finding them a place to rest
and a cave to hide in. He warns Juana about trees that can endanger her
life.
He feels sorry for Juana when she gets tired and cracked such that he
tells her to rest and let him carry on with the journey. This but she
denies.
He supports Juana to climb up the stony mountains.
 Careful/Cautious
He clears their footprints to avoid being tracked easily by other people.
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He also makes sure that the little Coyottito is kept noiseless to avoid
the trackers noticing where they hide themselves.
He again moves from the cave to the bottom of the mountain so as to

attack the men in a very silent and careful manner.
He also takes off his white clothes to avoid being noticed.
Finally, he carefully carries the knife and makes sure that it never hits
against any rock.
 Violent
He violently kills the three men using his knife and a gun.
 Ambitious
He still sees himself fulfilling his aim of owning a gun and achieves it
in the end.
2. JUANA
 Strong/Brave/Determined
Despite being a woman, she walks together with Kino during the night
without fearing anything.
She does also not accept the mercy shown to her by Kino to rest and
let himself go on with the trip. Instead she insists to go together with
Kino.
She also carries the dead body by herself for a longer distance. Other
ladies would not do this.
 Obedient/Submissive
Though she knows all about what Kino tells her about the evil trees,
she submissively obeys.
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Not only that, but also she obeys Kino’s order that she should make
sure that the baby never cries.
 Cautious/Careful
She warns Kino of not putting on white clothes for he may be noticed.
 Religious
She wishes Kino God’s guidance as he begins to go and attack the three
men.
 Superstitious
She chants some magic to wish Kino good luck and Gods’ help as he
goes to kill the three men.
 Desperate
Juana seems to have lost hope when she tells Kino that the pearl is
worthless after she sees how they are suffering.
3. THE TRACKERS
 Ambitious/Hardworking
They have a goal of finding Kino and getting the pearl from him.
Through their hard work, they follow him all the way up to coming
face to face with him.
 Skillful
They are skilled at tracking people’s footprints such that after realizing
that they have missed the way of Kino, they recover it so quickly and
finally finds him.
 Careless
Two of them sleep leaving only one awake though they are in a
dangerous place.
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 Ignorant
They do not agree on one thing about what the cry they hear from the
cave would be of.
THEMES IN CHAPTER 6
Each member of Kino’s family finds refuge and support from another.
For example, when Juana sleeps, Kino guards her and she does alike
when he sleeps too. Kino even finds shelter twice for his family.
2. VIOLENCE
Kino violently kills the men using a gun and a long knife. One of the
trackers violently shoots and kills the innocent Coyottito and destroys
the top part of his head.
3. OBEDIENCE
Juana obeys what Kino tells her though she knows the facts already.
She also obeys Kino's command not to let the baby cry.
4. AMBITION
Kino is driven by his strong ambition to sell the pearl and sees nothing
to stop him. Kino still goes by his ambition of owning a gun and at the
end kills a person to get it.
The trackers have an ambition of finding Kino and snatching the pearl
from him. They indeed find him though they do not get the pearl.
5. DESPERATION
Kino loses hope once he sees the trackers keeping on following them.
Kino trembles with fear when the trackers are near where he is hiding
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and he can see their legs. When Coyottito finally cries, out of loss hope,
Kino jumps on the man and kills them.
Later, he loses hope of finding both people alive in the cave. Once
Kino loses his son, he loses hope in the pearl and throws it back into
the sea.
6. BRUTAL DEATH
The baby is brutally shot by the tracker. Kino brutally kills the three
trackers using a knife and a gun.
 Try this one
Whom do you blame for the death of Coyottito? Justify.
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Chapter 7
MAJOR SONGS AND MUSIC IN THE PEARL

In Kino’s society, people believe much in what various songs and
music communicate. Such songs and music have great deep meanings
attached to their historical and cultural roots.
Let us look at five songs and music from the story and what they mean.
1. Song of the Family
This is the major song that is heard right from chapter one through to
chapter six. It means both good and bad things. Firstly, it signifies how
important the family is to Kino and all his family members. He gets
strength, safety, warmth and oneness once he hears this song.
On the other side, the song warns Kino of the oncoming danger. For
example, when the scorpion is about to bite, The Song of the Family is
heard. This means that this song depends on the situation at hand.
2. The Song of Evil
As its name sounds, this song signals any bad thing for Kino’s family.
Every time it is heard Kino seems to be hopeless, he is filled with
anger, or there is a visible sickness or suffering. This dangerous song
is mostly associated with darkness in the story.
3. The Music of the Enemy
John Steinbeck firstly presents this song together with the Song of Evil
but they are different. The Music of Enemy tells us that Kino is in an
enmity with various people.
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After the scorpion is seen, this music is heard. Thus, his first enemy is
the scorpion. Later on, this music appears to present several enemies
like the French Doctor, the Pearl Buyers and some village people.
This music also tells us how Kino is made disconnected from various
people like his child, Coyottito. No one is his friend including his own
wife and the village people.
4. The Song of the Pearl that Might Be
A song full of promises and hope giving. On the good side it gives
Kino big hope that he may find a great pearl in one of the oysters he
collects from down the sea. That pearl will make him rich and bring
happiness to his family.
On the negative part, the song warns Kino of the danger in finding the
pearl since gods cannot be happy with his success. This is seen when
we see him suffering because of his pearl and some people mocking
him for it.
5. The Song of the Undersea
Though not spoken of a lot, the song comes simultaneously with The
Song of the Pearl that Might Be. It shows us that Kino feels so safe and
comfortable after the hope of finding a great pearl comes into him. In
short, it promises him good things.
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Chapter 8
SYMBOLISM IN THE PEARL

Literature without symbolism is no literature, so believes Mr. Oooky.
In “The Pearl”, John Steinbeck presents several things and persons to
mean something else. One item can mean several things. Let us look
at some and not all of them.
1. The Pearl
It symbolises wealth that leads to disaster. It also symbolizes evil that
can come due to one’s wealth in the world. Again, the pearl symbolizes
hope that a person can have after finding a precious thing in life.
2. The Scorpion
It symbolises the troubles that Kino is yet to face in the story. Outside
the book, it means the suffering that innocent people face in their daily
lives as seen from the attack on the innocent Coyottito.
3. The Canoe
It symbolises how strong tradition is. Kino got the canoe from his late
father who also got it from his late father. It tells us that family is
important than anything else in someone’s life.
4. Coyottito, the baby

As a human, this baby symbolizes how innocent people suffer due to
other people’s mistakes and foolishness. Coyottito never deserved to
die but does due to his father’s greed.
5. The Priest
He is a true representative of the world's terrible hypocrites. He
pretends being a good man of God while in real sense he is a devilish
person who dreams about how to get money from other people.
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6. The French Doctor

He symbolises racism. His race, French, hates Kino’s race, Indian,
though both are in a foreign country, Mexico. He also symbolises
crooked doctors we have who are there for money and not helping sick
people. Do you know one? Who?
7. Hungry Pigs and Dogs

They symbolise poverty in Kino's community. Their search for food in
the name of dead fish and other types tells us that their masters are poor
thus cannot provide food for them properly.
8. Juana, the Wife to Kino

Mr. Oooky’s favourite in the whole book, she symbolises all strong,
persevering, supportive and loving women. Despite all ill treatments
from Kino, she never gets angry nor fights back. Again, she stands
strong both as a mother and a wife who looks after a sick child and
repeatedly nurses an injured husband respectively.
9. The Pearl Buyers

They symbolise a corrupt system that had been oppressing Kino and
his people from time immemorial. Nowadays, they symbolise crooked
businessmen who enjoy buying commodities and produces of poor
people at cheaper prices.
10. The Black Dog

This together with other bad things that Kino sees and hears in the story
symbolise cautions for various bad things for him.
 Do you have other symbols from ‘The Pearl?’ Explain

them please.
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Chapter 9
MAJOR CHARACTERS’ TRAITS

Mr. Oooky has just listed the traits for various characters from the
book, “The Pearl”. Try to expand them on your own. Follow the
instruction given on chapter one’s character analysis section.
For much detailed information,you can also refer to the book: ‘How to
Analyse a Short Story and Other Literary Writings’ by the same
author, on the Character Section.
1. KINO
 Violent/Short-tempered
 Caring
 Careful
 Strong
 Heartless
 Ambitious/Hopeful
 Greedy
 Selfish
 Supportive
2. JUANA
 Loving/Caring
 Strong
 Forgiving
 Superstitious
 Religious
 Submissive/Obedient
 Dutiful/Responsible
 Supportive
3. COYOTTITO
 Innocent
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4. JUAN TOMAS
 Supportive
 Religious
 Loving
 Pretending
 Authoritative
5. APOLONIA
 Submissive
 Supportive
 Secretive
 Pretentious
6. THE DOCTOR
 Evil
 Money hungry/Greedy
 Clever
 Skilled in speaking
 Jealous
 Heartless
 Inconsiderate
 Ambitious
7. THE DOCTOR’S SERVANT

 Submissive
 Pompous
8. THE PRIEST
 Greedy/Money hungry
 Opportunistic
 Hypocritical
 Skilled in speaking
 Ambitious/Hopeful
69
9. THE TRACKERS
 Hardworking
 Ambitious
 Skillful
 Careless
 Jealous
10. THE PEARL BUYERS

 Crooked
 Skilled
 Ambitious
 Shortsighted
 Jealous
 United
11. THE VILLAGERS

 Supportive
 Jealous
 Ambitious
 United
 Hopeful
12. THE PEARL FISHERMEN

 Hopeful
 Over expectant
13. THE SHOPKEEPERS

 Hopeful
 Ambitious
14. THE BEGGARS

 Knowledgeable/Wise
 Hopeful/Ambitious
70
This far, I have tried to mention some of the important traits of

different characters from the book. Explain them. We are good to
move on to the next section.
71
Chapter 10
MAJOR THEMES IN THE PEARL

In this section, I present to you ten fundamental themes portrayed in
“The Pearl”. Try to develop each point under one theme into well-
formed paragraphs. Find them of great use.
A family provides security for Kino and his members. He himself finds
help from his wife, Juana in various ways and vice versa. Juana sleeps
in the mountains under the guard of Kino and he does the same too.
When the baby is stung by the scorpion, Juana firstly sucks out the
poison and later on puts some sea weed on the affected shoulder.
Again, Kino’s family finds refuge in the house of Juan Tomas, his
brother.
Lastly, Kino has a canoe given to him by his late father. I am tired, add
your own examples please.
2. VIOLENCE
From chapter one, Kino violently kills the scorpion with bare hands
and feet. Thereafter, he smashes the doctor’s gate and gets injured.
Later on, we see him being violently attacked twice on different nights.
Kino also violently beats up his dear Juana at the sea.
Then he violently kills a person on his way back from the sea in an
attempt to save himself and the pearl. We also find his canoe being
violently broken by unknown people, just before his house is violently
set on fire.
Sadly, his innocent son is violently killed in the process of violently

killing the three trackers who have been following them. Are those
examples not enough?
72
3. MISFORTUNATE FORTUNE
By finding the pearl, Kino thinks it will bring him luck and end all his
sufferings. Contrary to that: his house is burnt, his canoe is broken, he
beats up his wife, he is attacked and gets injured, he kills a person, he
kills the three trackers, and he loses his only son through death.
4. AMBITIOUS DREAMS
Kino has several dreams after finding the pearl. He thinks of buying a
gun, having new clothes, getting married officially, and getting
Coyottito educated. - Do you still remember where and when Kino
openly says all these? If not, then be ashamed of yourself.
5. THE POWER OF GREED
Many people in the story are controlled by a selfish and excessive

desire for wealth. Kino wants to become rich and this makes him
stubborn.
The doctor, priest, shopkeepers, beggars, pearl buyers, trackers and
villagers all have a greedy feeling to become rich through Kino’s pearl.
Do you remember that? I hope so.
6. SUPERSTITION
On several instances, Juana and Kino believe in songs that tell them of
various situations at hand. Juana also believes in magic whenever she
wants to get things done. She again believes that the gods are the
controllers of Kino’s finding of the pearl.
7. UNITY
The villagers, Juan Tomas and Apolonia are all united with Kino in
both frustrating and successful times. For example, they gather to
73
comfort the family after the scorpion bite. They then escort them to the
doctor. As if that is not enough, they go with them to the pearl buyers.
Though funny, at one point, they work together in search for the bones
of the alleged dead Kino and his family members. They also mourn
them. I hope you remember this part.
8. THE POWER OF MEN OVER WOMEN
Kino’s speech is what Juana follows though not at all times. He makes
the family go on a long footing journey to the capital and Juana just
follows. In Juan Tomas’ house, Apolonia, his wife, respects every
word said by him. All these show that men are superior to women. Is
this fair though?
9. EVILS OF POVERTY
All the suffering that Kino and his family are met with is due to
poverty. On the other side, the doctor enjoys himself in a fenced house
with all sweet food and drinks.
10. THE SUFFERING OF THE INNOCENT
Juana and Coyottito suffer because of Kino’s mistakes. When she

intends to throw back the pearl out of good and innocent will, Kino
beats her up hard. In addition to that, she is made to walk a long journey
at night through a harsh weather as they try to save their lives though
they are innocent.
The innocent Juana gets cracked in her feet all in the name of
supporting Kino.
On a very sad note, Coyottito is the sweetest innocent soul in the whole
story. He dies due to the wickedness of his father.
74
 Explain the following themes on your own
1. Racism
2. Hypocrisy
3. Brutal deaths/ Murder
4. Jealousy
5. Hope
6. Love
7. Determination
8. Brotherliness
9. Religion
10.Desperation
75
Chapter 11
ESSAY WRITING IN LITERATURE

Some teachers and students have conflicting ideas on how an essay in
literature must look like. This is to do with the structure and language
correctness. They say that in as far as one presents true points
regardless of grammatical correctness and structure, the essay is good
to go for marking, since it is literature.
This thought however is not only misleading, but also unfortunate and
senseless.
WHAT IS AN ESSAY
As the Oxford English Dictionary states, an essay is a written

composition of moderate length that explores a particular subject.
By the word composition therefore, an essay has to have a proper

structure and language as it is the case with a mere English
composition.
TYPES OF ESSAY QUESTIONS

We have:
1. MULTIPLE ESSAY QUESTIONS
This is one question that usually has two sub-parts. Each sub-part must
have four points and each point plus its clear explanation is worth two
marks.
For example:
76
3. With examples from The Pearl, show how the following

themes are best portrayed
i . The Power of Men (Give 4 points)
ii. Importance of Family (Give 4 points)
The remaining four marks, two for each sub-part to add up to twenty,
come from the structure and grammar correctness.
2. LOADED OR EMBEDDED QUESTIONS
This is one question that looks for eight points and carries twenty (20)
marks.
Each of the eight points plus its clear explanation gives you two marks
again as the case with the above essay type.
For example:
11. Describe Macduff in ‘Macbeth’ by giving 8 points. (20 marks)
Sometimes, this type of question will be much of application nature

hence will not require clear straight points from the book asked on.
For example:
 The play Macbeth is about problems triggered by the female
gender. Justify this claim by giving eight points. (20 marks)
In such cases, the point is at understanding English. Do not just

rush into answering the question without clearly getting what it
looks for.
77
ELEMENTS AND STRUCTURE OF AN ESSAY
A good essay has:
 A TITTLE
This is a section that rephrases the question of the essay. Depending
on the nature of the question, the tittle has no word limit but needs to
be precise and brief. When doing it, just change the given question into
a phrase.
For example:
Question:
 a. Using relevant examples, discuss how the theme of love

has been portrayed in the book The Pearl. (Give eight
points)
Answer for best tittle:
1.a. THE THEME OF LOVE IN ‘THE PEARL’
You must however know that if it is a multiple essay question, each

part of the two must have its own tittle.
For example:
3.a. With examples from The Pearl, show how the following
themes are best portrayed.
i. The Power of Men (Give 4 points)

ii. Importance of Family (Give 4 points)
This essay must be written as:

78
3a. i. THE THEME OF POWER OF MEN IN THE PEARL

- Its small introduction - Its body - Its small conclusion
3a. ii. THE THEME OF IMPORTANCE OF FAMILY IN THE

PEARL
- Its small introduction - Its body - Its small conclusion
NOTE: There is no rule as whether to capitalize or not the letters of

the tittle. Just make sure that you present clean work and
maintain consistency.
 THE INTRODUCTION
In literature, make the introduction as brief as possible. Do not waste
time defining terms given in the question. A good introduction can be
for example:
The following points discuss how William Shakespeare

presents the theme of violence in his play, ‘Macbeth’.
By just doing like that, you put the marker in the mood of marking.
 THE BODY
In this series of paragraphs, present as clear points as possible. Begin
each paragraph with a topic sentence containing a main idea.
Then present at least two supporting sentences to the main idea.

Do not end your paragraph without any example if circumstances
would allow.
Again, when writing points from a certain book, present them in a

logical order starting with the first to the last ones. Be careful with your
English correctness and spellings for these have marks as well.
79
Remember to use proper signaling devices. Again, remember to

punctuate your paragraphs properly.
Look at a good paragraph below:
Firstly, the theme of poverty is shown in ‘The Pearl’ when Juana

and Kino sleep on a mat instead of on a bed. This is evident when
we have the two waking up from their sleep on a day that Coyottito
is stung by a scorpion. In addition to that, this couple’s mat is laid
in a house which is made of grass and trees and not bricks. Later
on, they eat poorly made corn cakes as their breakfast. All these
justify the theme of poverty.
It is not hard I tell you.
 THE CONCLUSION
Just like with the introduction, this part also needs to be brief. Do not
conclude it as if you were writing a speech, report or what have you.
Do not again repeat all the points stated in the whole essay.
A good conclusion can for example be a single sentence like:
In conclusion, poverty indeed rules in the story ‘The Pearl’.
NOTE: Every answer in literature, be it in short response form or an

essay one, must be written in present tense unless otherwise.
Reaching this far, I am sure you are well conversant with skills of how
to write an essay. If you happen to miss out on a certain point, re-read
the presentation above.
ARE WE TOGETHER EXERCISE
 “Wanting too much than what someone has brings much pain
than happiness.” Use examples from The Pearl to justify this
statement by giving 8 points. (20 marks)
80
REFERENCES
Burnett, A., (1965). An Analysis and Allegorical Reading of John
Steinbeck’s “The Pearl”, Fort Hays: Kansas State College
Howard, L., (1983). The Novels of John Steinbeck: A Critical Study,

University of Missouri Press
Madison, (1955). The Art of John Steinbeck: An Analysis and

Interpretation of its Development, University of Wisconsin
MIE, (2013), Syllabus for English, Forms 3 and 4, Domasi: Malawi

Institute of Education.
Steinbeck, J. (2017), The Pearl, United Kingdom: Penguin Books.
81
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The Best Analysis of The Pearl Steven Chiyaka Phiri

Mr. Oooky ‘s Book Series

A Critical Analysis of John Steinbeck’s Novella “The Pearl”

----- for teachers and students -----

Steven Chiyaka Phiri

A Critical Analysis of John Steinbeck’s Novella “The Pearl”

----- for teachers and students -----

First edition 2019

©Sir. Steven Chiyaka Phiri

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in

Book Cover by Cilpar Designs

Chapter 1: Chapter One Analysis …………………..………….....5

Chapter 2: Chapter Two Analysis ….……….………….…….…11

Chapter 3: Chapter Three Analysis ...………………………..… 17

Chapter 4: Chapter Four Analysis …...……..................………... 28

Chapter 5: Chapter Five Analysis ……….……………………. 41

Chapter 6: Chapter Six Analysis .………………………………. 51

Chapter 7: Major songs and Music in ‘The Pearl’…………….... 64

Chapter 8: Symbolism in ‘The Pearl’.…...…………………....... 66

Chapter 9: Major Characters’ traits in ‘The Pearl’………………68

Chapter 10: Major themes in ‘The Pearl’………….………….…72

Chapter 11: Essay Writing in Literature………………………….76

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A Domasi College of Education Graduate, he boasts as a professional English educator

THE CONCEPT IN THE PEARL

IMPORTANT QUICK FACTS ABOUT THE PEARL

Author: John Steinbeck

Type of Story: Tragedy

Total Time of the Story: Five Days

Meaning of the term ‘Pearl’

A precious, expensive, shinny, rounded, stone like substance

 Kino - Protagonist and Father

 Juan Tomas - Kino’s Elder Brother

CHAPTER ONE ANALYSIS

MAIN EVENT: Coyottito is stung

SETTING: In the house of Kino; at the Doctor’s gate

CHARACTERS: Kino, Juana, Coyottito, Juan Tomas, Apolonia and

KINO EATS BREAKFAST

TROUBLES BEGIN: THE SCORPION

Suddenly, Kino and Juana see a scorpion moving majestically towards

As they pass through a pleasant looking city, various people including

AT THE FRENCH DOCTOR’S GATE

Then a servant, a fellow Indian, attends to him. Surprisingly, he never

INSIDE THE DOCTOR’S HOUSE

‘I am a doctor, not a veterinary.’ (The Pearl, page 13)

BACK AT THE GATE

 Reflection: If you were Kino, what would you have done?

CHARACTER ANALYSIS FOR CHAPTER 1

The first thing is to critically reflect on what various characters do in

Juana shows responsibility by waking up early to prepare food for the

Kino is in an enmity with the doctor all because of differences in races.

 Do this for Mr. Oooky

CHAPTER TWO ANALYSIS

MAIN EVENT: Kino finds ‘The Great Pearl’

SETTING: At the sea

CHARACTERS: Kino, Juana and Coyottito

I WILL NOT GIVE UP ON YOU

The same morning he is rejected by the evil Doctor, Kino goes to

GOING ONTO THE SEA

KINO GOES INTO THE SEA