It was noted that the town was very much like a type of organism in the last chapter. Here again, Steinbeck begins this chapter by comparing the town to a larger unit, or organism, in which no single action is separate from any other. Only when one person deviates from […]

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Steinbeck begins this chapter by describing the town in terms of an animal or as some type of biological organism. In the “Introduction” section, it was noted that one interpretation for this novel is an ecological interpretation, one in which we observe that every part of a complex pattern is […]

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In contrast to the first chapter, this chapter takes us out into the Gulf, where the Pearl of the World is to be found. Along the shore, the graceful old canoes are silent, but the Gulf itself is teeming with sea life of various kinds: brown algae floats upward and […]

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Since Steinbeck will use the already established Indian legend of “The Pearl of the World” as a basis for his story, he begins the first chapter with events leading up to the discovery of the great pearl as recorded in Indian folklore. In other words, the main legend begins with […]

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Kino The young Indian pearl diver who finds the magnificent pearl and whose life is partially destroyed by this pearl. Juana Kino’s wife and faithful partner in eking out a meager living; she is obedient and devoted to her family. Coyotito Coyotito is Kino and Juana’s infant son; he is […]

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Even though The Pearl is outwardly a simple and beautiful book, there are several ways in which it can be read and appreciated. First, there is, as was just suggested, the beauty and power of the narrative itself. One need go no further than simply noting the power, the restraint, […]

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Kino, the novella’s protagonist, is a young Mexican-Indian pearl diver married to Juana; they have a baby named Coyotito. Their lives seem rather peaceful, but their tranquility is threatened when a scorpion bites Coyotito. Juana tells Kino to go to town and get the doctor, but Kino and their neighbors […]

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