The Pearl Ch. 2 and 3 Questions

1. Contrast the nature imagery in the second and third paragraphs with the tone each paragraph sets. How does the author accomplish this contrast?

2. Explain the fundamental conflict between the attitude of the “people of the Gulf” and the people in the city. What theme or themes are introduced in this conflict?

3. Note two examples of the interjection of the narrator’s personal opinions in this chapter. What commentary is made in each scenario?

4. How does the discussion of pearls advance the novel’s examination of the roles of fate and free will in this chapter?

5. Explain why Juana prays not for a cure but for a pearl. How does this highlight the complex role of religion in this chapter?

6. Analyze the repetition of the “secret melody” of the “Song of the Pearl That Might Be” and the language of the author chooses in these passages. How does the song change over the course of Kino’s quest?

7. Consider the last three paragraphs of the chapter, paying close attention to the diction Steinbeck uses. What words or phrases indicate a possible transition in Kino’s character?

1. Describe the dramatic change in tone between the first six paragraphs and the seventh. What does Kino and Juana’s attitude reveal about their character? And what is the narrator’s commentary on the character of man? To what does the narrator compare the town and why is this significant?

2. Compare and contrast Juana and Kino’s responses to Juan Thomas’ question “What will you do now that you have become a rich man?” Is their behavior consistent with the reader’s view of them in Ch. 1?

3. Trace the significance of the things Kino wants from the sale of the pearl.

4. Read the two paragraphs starting with “Now the neighbors knew…” and reflect on the narrator’s commentary about humanity. 5. Consider the paragraph beginning “The neighbors slipped away…” and compare and contrast this passage, in action and TONE, to CH. 1

6. Analyze the way the priest and the doctor manipulate Kino.

7. Explain the dual levels of meaning associated with the paragraph beginning “Out in the estuary…” Note the paragraphs that immediately precede and follow this one for contextual clues.

8. Analyze the function of the music in this chapter. How does the music in this chapter contrast with that of the first chapter?

9. Reread the section in which Juana confronts Kino about throwing the pearl away. Examine the central conflict and the result, both literally and emotionally.