The Pearl

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

ACTIVITY: “In the Books”

In small groups, students will research and gather information on one or more topics that Kino wonders about but is unable to research himself; they will then present their findings as if they were addressing Kino directly.

Kino repeatedly laments the fact that he and his neighbors cannot read, which means that he is left to accept the claims of the priest, the doctor, the pearl buyers, and the other colonists without question. Such is Kino’s confusion that his plans for the pearl center on his desire to send Coyotito to school so that he can learn to read, write, and do math, enabling him to see through the colonists’ deceptions.

How much of a difference would it have made if Kino did have access to the world’s accumulated knowledge? To test this hypothesis, suppose that you are a friend of Kino, and that he reaches out to you to ask your advice on several topics:

• Is Eusebio Kino the good role model that the priest claims he was?
• Is the doctor’s description of the results of scorpion poisoning accurate?
• How much money would be a fair price for the pearl? (To keep things simple, simply use whichever modern currency you’re most familiar with.)
• Based on my [Kino’s] story, is there anything else you think I should know?

In small groups, take time to find reputable answers to one or more of Kino’s questions. As you do, prepare a simple visual aid to help Kino process and remember your information. (Remember, Kino can’t read, so there’s no need to include text in your visuals.) Be sure to explain not only what you found out but how you obtained that information and why you believe it to be credible.

Before class ends, each group will have a chance to present their findings and recommendations for Kino to the rest of the class, acting as if they were presenting their information to Kino himself.

Teaching Suggestion: Before showing the prompt, you might ask students to put themselves in Kino’s shoes and brainstorm questions that he might have that research could answer, some of which you can then add to the list. It may also be helpful to demonstrate best practices for developing search terms from the questions, as well as for sorting through results to find the most reputable and relevant information. As groups present, students can also ask for recommendations as to how Kino can apply the information they provide to him. You may wish to conclude with a reminder that lack of access to information is only one facet contributing to Kino’s ongoing oppression and exploitation. As a class, students might also consider the role of education, as opposed to simply transferring information, in alleviating those difficulties on a systemic level.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who are learning English might prefer to focus their research on a single question, guided by the use of sentence frames like these:

• “In response to your question about _____, we found . . .”
• “We believe this information is accurate because . . .”
• “Based on this information, we recommend that you . . .”

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the novella over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. Foil characters contrast with each other in ways that are revealing and thematically significant.

• In The Pearl, how do the doctor and the priest meet the definition of foil characters? (topic sentence)
• Drawing from the text, find at least 3 similarities or differences between the doctor and the priest, including at least 1 similarity and 1 difference.
• To conclude, consider what the differences between the two characters reveal about their unique roles in maintaining La Paz’s social and economic systems.

2. A symbol is something that represents or is closely associated with something else.

• How does Kino’s perception of the pearl’s significance change over time? (topic sentence)
• Identify and analyze at least 3 examples of imagery Steinbeck uses to describe the pearl to show how Kino’s view of the pearl evolves over time.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, explain how Kino’s developing understanding of the pearl relates to the novella’s examination of The Corrupting Influence of Greed.

3. In literature, most plots revolve around one or more central conflicts, which can occur between characters, within a single character, or against some kind of entity, such as nature or even society.

• As specifically as possible, define a central conflict in The Pearl: Who is in conflict with whom or what, and what is at stake? (topic sentence)
• Using at least 3 examples from the text, trace the development of that conflict through the narrative, including rising action.
• In conclusion, consider how the conflict is resolved and how it connects with one or more of the novella’s major themes.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. Consider dialogue within The Pearl. Though Kino and his people speak an unidentified “old language,” the narrative records their dialogue in relatively formal English, devoid of contractions or slang. In 3-5 substantial paragraphs, analyze quoted dialogue from various characters in terms of tone and formality. How do Steinbeck’s choices in this area affect readers’ perceptions of characters and events?

2. Kino and Juana occasionally discuss or think about various superstitious beliefs related to fate, luck, and divine favor or disfavor. Using multiple examples from the text, consider how these characters’ beliefs about religion and the supernatural shape their perceptions of their lives, as well as their decision-making processes. Then consider whether the narrator accepts their view of their lives as being governed by fate and chance. If the narrator favors another explanation for the novella’s events, what is it?

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-book review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. The songs that Kino hears throughout the text seem to vary based on which of the following factors?

A) His hunger and fatigue

B) The weather

C) His feelings and desires

D) The time of day

2. Which sentence best expresses how Kino feels about his canoe?

A) It represents his heritage and livelihood.

B) It is a weapon, enabling him to fight back.

C) It is a toy for him to play with.

D) It represents his greed for pearls.

3. Why isn’t Juana angry with Kino after he attacks her?

A) She loses her memory of the attack.

B) She doesn’t realize the identity of her attacker.

C) She views Kino’s behavior as unavoidable and masculine.

D) She is numb to all emotions, not just anger.

4. Which result of the pearl’s discovery is ironic, considering Kino and Juana’s initial purpose in looking for the pearl?

A) The destruction of the canoe

B) Coyotito’s death

C) Their house burning down

D) The priest’s visit

5. What is the significance of the pearl dealer practicing a coin trick under the table?

A) It hints at the pearl buyer’s dream of becoming a magician.

B) It shows that the pearl buyer is poor and needs money.

C) It signifies that Kino’s pearl is only worth a few coins.

D) It reveals the pearl buyer’s true feelings about Kino’s pearl.

6. What are some of Juan Tomás’s key character traits?

A) Wisdom and love

B) Anger and strength

C) Jealousy and fear

D) Humor and deceit

7. Which phrase reflects Kino and Juana’s approach to religion, which combines inherited cultural beliefs with the colonists’ religious doctrine?

A) “The gods do not love men’s plans.” (Chapter 3)

B) “Her combination of prayer and magic, her Hail Marys and her ancient intercession” (Chapter 6)

C) “Kino watched with the detachment of God.” (Chapter 1)

D) “Chance was against it, but luck and the gods might be for it.” (Chapter 2)

8. What can be inferred about the priest based on his visit to Kino and Juana?

A) He wants to become friends with Kino and Juana.

B) He is losing his faith.

C) He considers the pearl to be evil.

D) His teachings are motivated by financial considerations.

9. How does the narrator describe the area around the Gulf of California, where Kino lives?

A) It is a place of simple pleasures.

B) It is a forbidding, ominous place.

C) It is plagued by illusion and uncertainty.

D) It harbors hidden secrets and treasures.

10. What do the doctor’s diet and eating habits imply about his character?

A) He is willing to sacrifice to help others.

B) He prefers a life of luxury and comfort.

C) He obsesses over his health.

D) He wishes he were more like Kino.

11. How does Kino and Juana’s relationship evolve over the course of the novella?

A) By the end of the novella, Kino resents Juana.

B) By the end of the novella, Juana and Kino have drifted apart.

C) By the end of the novella, Juana is more obedient to Kino’s wishes.

D) By the end of the novella, Kino shows more respect for Juana’s input.

12. What purpose do the narrator’s descriptions of wildlife in the novella generally serve?

A) They parallel human behaviors and situations.

B) They contrast with human behaviors and situations.

C) They provide a random backdrop to human behaviors and situations.

D) They disrupt human behaviors and situations.

13. What motivates the pearl buyers to pay the cheapest possible prices for the pearls they buy?

A) They receive bonuses for getting good prices.

B) They despise Kino and his people.

C) They simply want to do their jobs well.

D) They find it amusing to rip people off.

14. Which description best fits Kino and Juana’s mood when they return to La Paz?

A) Stoic and resolute

B) Carefree and relieved

C) Tired and hungry

D) Ashamed and disgusted

15. Why do Kino and Juana decide to throw away the pearl even after they eliminate the hunters who track them?

A) They decide the capital is too far away.

B) They realize that no good can ever come from the pearl.

C) They do it out of spite to the pearl buyers.

D) It is a symbolic gesture, intended to restore nature's balance.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. What nonviolent attempts are made to deprive Kino of some or all of the pearl’s value?

2. In what ways does Kino’s relationship with those who seek to take the pearl mirror the relationship between prey and predator?