1. Introductory Notes on…
The Pearl
…by John Steinbeck

2. John Steinbeck Introducing you to…
“It has always seemed strange to me... The things we admire in men – kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling – are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest – sharpness, greed, meanness, egotism and self-interest – are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first, they love the produce of the second.”
Born = February 27, 1902
Attended Stanford University
Famous works:
The Grapes of Wrath
East of Eden
Of Mice and Men
Nobel Prize (Literature) – 1962
Pulitzer Prize (Fiction) – 1940
Died = December 20, 1968
What qualities do you think are most associated with success?
Are these qualities we admire or we detest?
What examples can you think of to support your answer? Think of movies, television shows, books, etc.

3. Let’s watch a book trailer…

4. The Tortoise and The Hare
Parable
parable (n.) = a short story designed to illustrate or teach some truth or moral lesson
fable (n.) = a short story designed to illustrate or teach some truth or moral lesson, often with animals or inanimate objects
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
The Tortoise and The Hare

5. Conflict Man vs. Man  characters against
each other (e.g. robbery, romance)
Man vs. Society  man against man-made institution (e.g. bullying, slavery)
Man vs. Nature  man against animal
or force of nature (e.g. wolf, tornado)
(Man vs. Technology)  man against science or technology (e.g. Frankenstein)

6. Setting = time and place
cultural and historical contexts
Desert climate
75-90 degrees
Minimal rainfall
300 sunny days/year
Ocean ecosystems
Eco-tourism
Diverse/unique species
Industries
Pearls
Fishing
Silver mining

7. Setting: Cultural Native culture Uneducated Poor Speak “old language”
Religious
Musical
Physical
Speak “old language”
Community oriented
Close
Involved
Communicate
Cultural Differences
“This doctor was of a race which for nearly four hundred years had beaten and starved and robbed and despised Kino’s race, and frightened it too…” (pg. 9)
“They came to the place where the brush houses stopped and the city stone and plaster began, the city of harsh outer walls and inner cool gardens…” (pg. 8)

8. What potential conflicts do you foresee?
Predicting Conflict
You know the basic plot of the story.
And, now you know about the cultural differences.
What potential conflicts do you foresee?