The Pearl By: John Steinbeck
John Steinbeck Born in Salinas, California in 1902 He attended Stanford University intermittently between 1920 and Supported himself through manual labor while writing
Steinbeck married Carol Henning in 1930 Steinbeck married his second wife, Gwyndolyn Conger, with whom he had two children
John Steinbeck 1948 was a particularly bad year for Steinbeck Ricketts died, and Gwyndolyn left him However, he found happiness in his 1950 marriage to Elaine Scott, with whom he lived in New York City Nobel Prize for literature in 1962 died in New York City in 1968
The Pearl The setting The Pearl is set in and around La Paz, Mexico, a coastal town marked by economic, social, and racial divisions resulting from colonial domination of the local native population.
Setting Kino attempts to escape with his family to the capital city and seeks refuge in a cave in the wilderness, but his attempt to flee is thwarted, and he returns to La Paz, where he renders the pearl to the sea.
Themes Greed as a Destructive Force Colonial Society’s Oppression of Native Culture
Symbol Symbols are objects, characters, figures, and colors used to represent abstract ideas or concepts
Symbols The Pearl The Scorpion Kino’s Canoe
Characters Kino - The protagonist Juana - Kino’s young wife Coyotito - Kino and Juana’s only son Juan Tomás - Kino’s older brother. Apolonia - Juan Tomás’s wife and the mother of four children.
Characters The doctor - A small-time colonial doctor The priest - The local village priest The trackers - The group of violent and corrupt men The dealers - The extremely well-organized and corrupt pearl dealers in La Paz
Chapter 1 Vocabulary avarice - greed bougainvillea - tropical flower consolation - to comfort detachment - lack of concern or attachment
Chapter 1 Indigent- poor Lymphatic- tissue where white blood cells are produced. Procession- line of people Pulque- fermented drink Reassuring- to comfort Scandal- shameful Ulcers- open sores
Chapter 2 Vocabulary Bulwark- defensive wall Deliberately- with intent Estuary- river meets sea tide Gloating- prideful, bragging Incandescence- giving off light
Chapter 2 Vocabulary Lateen- sail Poultice- an herbal application for the purpose of healing of remedy Refined- polished
From, The People, Yes Money is power: so said one. Money is a cushion: so said another Money is the root of evil: so said still another Money means freedom: so runs an old saying. And money is all of these- and more. Money pays for whatever you – want if you have the money.
Money buys food, clothes, houses, land, Guns, jewels, men, women, time to be lazy and listen to music. Money buys everything except love, personality, freedom, immortality, silence, peace