Academic Vocabulary for The Pearl By John Steinbeck

Symbol A person, place, thing, or event that has its own meaning but also stands for a bigger idea or concept. Q: What might the scorpion, the pearl, the canoe, the doctor, and the town symbolize beyond the direct role they play in the plot?

Mood and Tone Mood The feeling the reader gets from a piece of writing. Writers create mood through word choice, imagery, setting, dialogue, and plot. Tone The attitude the author takes towards the audience, subject, or character.

Setting The time and place in which the story occurs may contribute to a story’s emotional effect or mood. may directly impact the plot or characters may also symbolize a larger idea or concept Think: What roles do the beach, the town, the ocean, and the mountains play in the story? How do they impact or reflect the mood and tone as well as the character’s thoughts, feelings, and actions?

Internal and External Conflict Internal Conflict: a struggle within the character’s mind External Conflict: a struggle against an outside force (man, nature, society)

Allusion A figure of speech in which the author refers (or alludes to) a well-known historical event or literary work, but it is up to the reader to make the connection. Think: What allusion does Steinbeck make on page 1 of The Pearl?

Parable A simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson “If this story is a parable, perhaps everyone takes his own meaning from it and reads his own life into it” (from the preface of The Pearl). Think: What important lessons can be learned from this story?

Theme The truth about life revealed in a work of literature. This can also be considered the author’s message. The theme goes beyond what the character learns and reflects upon a universal truth about life.

Chapter 1 Images and Vocabulary

Brush houses were made of earthen walls and thatched roofs Brush houses were made of earthen walls and thatched roofs. Some had roofs that came almost to the ground and gave the appearance of being a thatched house or a house made of brush.

covey: small flock of birds

Pulque is made from the fermented sap of the maguey (agave) plant Pulque is made from the fermented sap of the maguey (agave) plant. It is traditional to central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. It has the color of milk, a somewhat sticky consistency, and a sour yeast-like taste.

“stone and plaster town” cir 1900

Chapter 2 Vocabulary and Images

Think: How is this symbolic of Kino and his people? Estuary: An estuary is a partially enclosed body of water along the coast where freshwater from rivers and streams meets and mixes with salt water from the ocean. Estuaries and the lands surrounding them are places of transition from land to sea and freshwater to salt water (United State Environmental Protection Agency). Think: How is this symbolic of Kino and his people?

Spotted Botete: a type of puffer fish that, along with its relatives, carries the second most deadly poison in the animal world. This is a family of fish found in most of the warm oceans and seas of the world.

Think: How might Steinbeck be using the mangroves and symbols? “Mangroves are survivors. With their roots submerged in water, mangrove trees thrive in hot, muddy, salty conditions that would quickly kill most plants” (Smithsonian Natural Museum of Natural History). Think: How might Steinbeck be using the mangroves and symbols?

Kino also says that his canoe is a “bulwark against starvation.” Bulwark: 1. a defensive wall 2. an extension of a ship's sides above the level of the deck. Kino also says that his canoe is a “bulwark against starvation.”

Nayarit: a Mexican state that located on the Pacific coast La Paz is most likely where The Pearl takes place. Kino’s grandfather brought the canoe from Nayarit.

poultice: a soft, moist mass of material, typically of plant material or flour, applied to the body to relieve soreness and inflammation

undulating: a smooth wave-like motion

The Pearl: Chapter 3

simile: a comparison between two unlike things using like, as, or than “A town is a thing like a colonial animal. A town has a nervous system and a head and shoulders and feet” (21).

semblance (This is where I switched to vocab.com)

residue

precipitated

speculations

disparagement

prophecy

subjugation

Chapter 4

countenanced

insubstantial

dignity

legerdemain

precision

contemptuous

collusion

Chapter 5

surged

searing

preserve

lament

leprosy

Chapter 6

illusion

sinister

guttural

irresolution

crevices

watercress

petulant

ulcerous