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The
Pearl by John Steinbeck is a novella (short novel) which can be read as
a story about a native who finds a great pearl and experiences disaster,
as an allegory, and/or as a parable. It reflects all of the elements of the short story including symbolism. Other significant factors in this story are the use of biological metaphors and foreshadowing. |
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Allegory & Parable |
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Short Story Elements |
Symbols |
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Biological Metaphors |
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Foreshadowing |
Key Ideas |
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Assignments |
10th Grade Home Page |
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Story
meant to teach a moral or spiritual lesson Characters and actions symbolize abstract concepts |
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Parable Short
allegory Usually
fiction Lesson
often on subject of good or evil Universal
in nature (theme) Little
dialogue Characters
as symbols
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CHARACTERIZATION
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Kino |
Pearl diver protagonist/husband/father/native |
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Juana |
Wife/mother/helpmate/native |
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Coyotito |
Baby/victim/native |
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Juan Tomas |
Older brother/village leader/native |
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Doctor |
Spaniard |
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Doctor's Servant |
Hired help/native |
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Priest |
Religious leader/Spaniard |
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Pearl buyers |
Pawns/Spaniards |
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Trackers |
Hired help/native/Spaniards |
Setting
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geography |
Probably La Paz,
Mexico Somewhere in Baja California |
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Topography |
On the sea Close to the mountains |
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Time |
1900 approximately |
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General environment |
Indians under Spanish rule and influence for 300 years |
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Church and state supposed to be separate but work together |
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Indians couldn't go to school or own land |
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Indian belief in Mi
Tierra (my land) Birthland of great importance Stayed where you were born |
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3rd person omniscient |
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Starts in the past - moves to present- back to past |
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Focus changes from character to character |
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Struggle for survival and existence |
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Oppression of the natives - 4 centuries of oppression by Spanish but happy |
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Kino |
Represents Natives' desire for freedom |
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Doctor, Priest, Pearl Buyers |
Represent oppressive Spanish culture |
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Pearl |
Represents escape from oppression |
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Money and Possessions |
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Kino |
Poor but happy
until material world becomes possible Destroyed by material desires |
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Pearl |
Material wealth Supposed to bring
happiness Brings death and destruction of dream |
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Trackers (native) |
Greed turns brother against brother |
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Doctor |
Evil and avariciousness |
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Priest |
Greed for supposedly altruistic reasons |
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Wholeness of life - everything has a place |
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Man in harmony with nature (part of nature) |
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Kino |
Simple Indian Man seeks security Acquires sudden wealth Exploited native |
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Juana |
Simple life
(good parts) Instinctive reactions |
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Coyotito |
Innocence New life Hope for the future |
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Juan Tomas |
Wisdom of Indian
past Old ways Tradition |
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Priest |
Catholic church |
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Doctor |
Rich Spaniards Evil/greed |
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Doctor's Servant |
Negatives in moving up the social ladder |
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Canoe |
Heritage - way of
life Needed for survival |
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Rifle |
White man's world Power Breakdown of current social order |
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Scorpion |
Danger in natural
world - poison Parallels trackers attack |
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Education |
Freedom from
exploitation Power |
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Big fish/little fish |
Spaniards rule Indians |
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To
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Biological Metaphors |
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Comparisons |
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Ants |
Represent man |
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Ant colony like battlefield/marketplace |
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1st encounter Kino doesn't interfere - before pearl |
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2nd encounter
changes natural world, natural order after pearl Kino is godlike |
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Scorpion |
Parallels trackers |
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Pearl |
Created by irritant - becomes irritant |
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Big Fish/little fish |
Lives of the natives |
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Village like Colonial Animal |
Group together for
protection and common good All part of larger
whole Deviant is outcast - threatens life of colony |
Foreshadowing Images
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Ants |
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Ghostly gleam from pearl |
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Mirages |
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Coin disappears |
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Relationship Between Man and Nature |
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Social Structure |
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Worldly Goods and Greed |
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Instinctive Wisdom Versus Worldly Knowledge |
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Love and Family |
Assignments
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Daily Work |
Read sections |
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Complete vocabulary handouts |
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Complete reading guides |
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Buy back points where possible |
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Group Work |
After each section find examples of key ideas from text |
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Essay Assignment Choices (5 paragraphs) |
Discuss Steinbeck's view of economic and social oppression as demonstrated in The Pearl. |
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In The Pearl Steinbeck has been said to present the evils of materialism. In what ways does he attack medical practices, capitalism and the economic class system, and the Catholic Church. |
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Describe the biological metaphors in The Pearl and explain their purpose to the story. |
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Discuss The Pearl as a parable or allegory meant to teach a lesson. |
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Develop a key theme from The Pearl based on your theme sheets. |
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Discuss symbolism in The Pearl. |
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Explain how The Pearl expresses the attitudes, values and hopes of Kino's people. |
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Trace the role of music throughout the novel. How do the different kinds of music parallel the chief themes of the story. |
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Compose lyrics for two of the songs mentioned in the story. What song would you use for a melody with your lyrics. Present the song and lyrics to the class. |
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