The Pearl: John Steinbeck 20F ELA Mr

The Pearl: John Steinbeck 20F ELA Mr. Johnson.

John Steinbeck From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search "Steinbeck" redirects here. For other people with this surname, see Steinbeck (surname).

John Steinbeck

Steinbeck in Sweden during his trip to accept the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962

Born John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. February 27, 1902 Salinas, California, U.S.

Died December 20, 1968 (aged 66) New York City, U.S. Occupation Novelist, short story writer, war correspondent

Notable works Of Mice and Men (1937) The Grapes of Wrath (1939) East of Eden (1952)[1]

Notable awards Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1940) Nobel Prize in Literature (1962)

Spouses Carol Henning (m. 1930; div. 1943)

Gwyn Conger (m. 1943; div. 1948)

Elaine Scott (m. 1950)

Children John Steinbeck IV (1946–1991) Thomas Steinbeck (1944–2016)

Signature

John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (/ˈstaɪnbɛk/; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American author. He won the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humour and keen social perception."[2] He has been called "a giant of American letters," and many of his works are considered classics of Western literature.[3] During his writing career, he authored 27 books, including 16 novels, six non-fiction books, and two collections of short stories. He is widely known for the comic novels Tortilla Flat (1935) and Cannery Row (1945), the multi-generation epic East of Eden (1952), and the novellas Of Mice and Men (1937) and The Red Pony (1937). The Pulitzer Prize-winning The Grapes of Wrath (1939)[4] is considered Steinbeck's masterpiece and part of the American literary canon.[5] In the first 75 years after it was published, it sold 14 million copies.[6] Most of Steinbeck's work is set in central California, particularly in the Salinas Valley and the California Coast Rangesregion. His works frequently explored the themes of fate and injustice, especially as applied to downtrodden or everymanprotagonists.

John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck: Do some research about the author John Steinbeck (JS) using Google and:

1. Explain who JS is and why he is so important in American Literature. 2. Where did JS live and base a lot of his books on? 3. Create a list of books that JS wrote. 4. What books that JS wrote won major awards…list them and the award. 5. Do some research about the novel The Pearl and write a brief paragraph about the content of the novel.

The Pearl (novel) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to navigationJump to search

The Pearl

First edition (US)

Author John Steinbeck

Illustrator José Clemente Orozco

Cover artist Cover Design: Micheal Ian Kaye, Artist: Ross Mcdonald

Country United States, Mexico

Language English, Spanish Set in La Paz, Baja California Sur, 1940s

Publisher The Viking Press (US) William Heinemann (UK) Fondo de Cultura Económica(Mexico and rest

of Latin America)

Publication 1947 date

Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)

ISBN 0-14-017737-X

OCLC 27697348

First edition title page

La Paz, Baja California Sur The Pearl is a novella by American author John Steinbeck, first published in 1947. It is the story of Kino, a poor pearl diver, who discovers an enormous and valuable pearl. The novella explores man's nature as well as greed, defiance of societal norms, and evil. Steinbeck's inspiration was a Mexican folk tale from La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico, which he had heard in a visit to the formerly pearl-rich region in 1940.[1] In 1947, it was adapted into a Mexican film named La perla and in 1987 into a cult Kannada movie Ondu Muttina Kathe. The story is one of Steinbeck's most popular books and has been widely used in high school classes.[2] The Pearl is sometimes considered a parable.

Contents

 1Summary  2Setting  3Themes  4Characters  5Reception and Analysis  6References  7Further reading

Summary[edit] The Pearl, which takes place in La Paz, Mexico, begins with a description of the seemingly idyllic family life of Kino, his wife Juana and their infant son, Coyotito. Kino watches as Coyotito sleeps, but sees a scorpion crawl down the rope that holds the hanging box where Coyotito lies. Kino attempts to catch the scorpion, but Coyotito bumps the rope and the scorpion falls on him. Although Kino kills the scorpion, it still stings Coyotito. Juana and Kino, accompanied by their neighbors, go to see the local doctor, who refuses to treat Coyotito because Kino cannot pay. Kino and Juana leave the doctors and take Coyotito down near the sea, where Juana uses a seaweed poultice on Coyotito's shoulder, which is now swollen. Kino dives for oysters from his canoe, attempting to find pearls. He finds a very large oyster which yields an immense pearl, which he dubs "The Pearl of the World". Kino howls, causing the other pearl divers to look up and race toward his canoe. The news that Kino has found an immense pearl travels fast through La Paz. The doctor who refused to treat Coyotito decides to visit Kino. Kino's neighbors begin to feel bitter toward him for his good fortune, but neither Kino nor Juana realize this feeling that they have engendered. Juan Tomas, Kino's brother, asks him what he will do with his money, and he envisions getting married to Juana in a church and dressing Coyotito in a yachting cap and sailor suit. He claims that he will send Coyotito to school and buy a rifle for himself. The local priest visits and tells Kino to remember to give thanks and to pray for guidance. The doctor also visits, and although Coyotito seems to be healing, the doctor insists that Coyotito still faces danger and treats him. Kino tells the doctor that he will pay him once he sells his pearl, and the doctor attempts to discern where the pearl is located (Kino has buried it in the corner of his hut). That night, a thief attempts to break into Kino's hut, but Kino drives him away. Juana tells Kino that the pearl will destroy them, but Kino insists that the pearl is their one chance and that tomorrow they will sell it. Kino's neighbors wonder what they would do if they had found the pearl, and suggest giving it as a present to the Pope, buying Masses for the souls of his family, and distributing it among the poor of La Paz. Kino goes to sell his pearl, accompanied by his neighbors, but the pearl dealer only offers a thousand pesos when Kino believes that he deserves fifty thousand. Although other dealers inspect the pearl and give similar prices, Kino refuses their offer and decides to go to the capital to sell it there. That night, Kino is attacked by more thieves, and Juana once again reminds him that the pearl is evil. However, he vows that he will not be cheated. Later that night, Juana attempts to take the pearl and throw it into the ocean, but Kino finds her and beats her for doing so. A group of men accost Kino and knock the pearl from his hand. Juana watches from a distance, and sees Kino approach her, limping with another man whose throat Kino has slit. Juana finds the pearl, and they decide that they must go away even if the murder was in self-defense. Kino finds that his canoe has been damaged and their house was torn up and the outside set afire. They stay with Juan Tomas and his wife, Apolonia, where they hide for the next day before setting out for the capital that night. Kino and Juana travel that night, and rest during the day. When Kino believes that he is being followed, the two hide and Kino sees several bighorn sheep trackers who pass by him. Kino and Juana escape into the mountains, where Juana and Coyotito hide in the cave while Kino takes his clothes off so that no one will see his white clothing. The trackers think that they hear something when they hear Coyotito crying, but decide that it is merely a coyote pup. After a tracker shoots in the direction of the cries, Kino attacks the three trackers, killing all three of them. Kino can hear nothing but the cry of death, for he soon realizes that Coyotito is dead from that first shot. Juana and Kino return to La Paz. Kino carries a rifle stolen from the one of the trackers he killed, while Juana carries the dead Coyotito. The two approach the gulf, and Kino, who now sees the image of Coyotito with his head blown off in the pearl, throws it into the ocean. Setting

The Pearl: Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Pearl

1. Reread chapter 1 and look for as many references to the use of song and music in the first chapter. Write down the actual “quotation” and the page number you found it on.EG: “Kino heard the little

splash……. (page1)

2. What do you think happens to Kino when Coyitito is stung? How does Kino

change? 3. In a paragraph discuss the mood of the chapter before the baby is stung and detail how the mood changes once

the bay has been stung

4. What do you think the theme of the novel is going to be…make a guess using the information you have gathered to date

from reading? Extension: Find 10 words you are unsure of and define them.

Themes in Literature

 Some of the Most Common Themes in Literature

 Crime Doesn’t Pay.

 Own Worst Enemy.

 Coming of Age.

 Overcoming the Odds.

 Capitalism.

 Technology.

 Love conquers all.

 Humanity vs. nature.

 o put it simply, the theme of a book is the main topic (or topics) at the center of the story. If a book’s ‘plot’ is said to be the events that happen within it, then by comparison the ‘theme’ is what the book is ‘about’.

 To use the most famous of examples: the plot of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is two young lovers from feuding families falling in love, and ultimately dying as the result of some tragic and unfortunate events.

 Some of the major themes of the story could therefore be described as Love, Fate and Family (among many others).

 Another common mistake is to limit the definition of theme to ‘the moral of the story’. The difference is that while a moral must be a specific lesson or point that the author is said to be making, a theme can be more general – an idea or topic that reappears throughout a story. A moral can be a theme, but a theme doesn’t have to be a moral.

Group Assignment:

1. With a partner you have never spoke to discuss what you think the pearl that Kino finds and the scorpion that stings the baby could represent. 2. Find another pair in the room, so now you should be in a group of 4 and discuss your findings. 3. In your group look for all the references to the pearl and the scorpion in chapter 1-3 and list them and the page number. For example..

Page 20..Kino’s fist closed over the pearl

4. Hand in your sheet..one sheet for the group with everyone’s names on it please. 5. Finish reading chapter 3

Symbolism and Themes: The Pearl

Symbolism in Literature Symbolism is often used by writers to enhance their writing. Symbolism can give a literary work more richness and color and can make the meaning of the work deeper. In literature, symbolism can take many forms including:

 A figure of speech where an object, person, or situation has another meaning other than its literal meaning.

 The actions of a character, word, action, or event that have a deeper meaning in the context of the whole story.

Chapter 3 Questions: The Pearl Chapter 3 Questions: 1.Describe what the news of the pearl made the priest, shopkeepers, the doctor, the beggars, and the pearl buyers think about?

2. Kino and Juana thought everyone shared their joy, but what was really happening? 3. To what evils does Steinbeck compare the evil growing in the town? 4. What things did Kino see in the future when he looked into the pearl?

Symbolism and Themes: The Pearl

 A figure of speech where an object, person, or situation has another meaning other than its literal meaning.

 The actions of a character, word, action, or event that have a deeper meaning in the context of the whole story.

Themes in Literature

 Some of the Most Common Themes in Literature  Crime Doesn’t Pay.

 Own Worst Enemy.

 Coming of Age.

 Overcoming the Odds.

 Capitalism.

 Technology.

 Love conquers all.

 Humanity vs. nature.

 Some of the major themes of the story could therefore be described as Love, Fate and Family (among many others).  Another common mistake is to limit the definition of theme to ‘the moral of the story’. The difference is that while a moral must be a specific lesson or point that the author is said to be making, a theme can be more general – an idea or topic that reappears throughout a story. A moral can be a theme, but a theme doesn’t have to be a moral.

Assignment:

Page 20..Kino’s fist closed over the pearl

4. Hand in your sheet..one sheet for the group with everyone’s names on it please. 5. Finish reading chapter 3

The Pearl Book Report Guidelines: Major Assignment

I would like you to create a 5 paragraph book report. Your book report should have 5 distinct paragraphs. Each paragraph should be 5-7 sentences in length: Paragraph 1 General Information Your first paragraph should include information on the author, the title of the book, the number of pages, and bibliographic information such as the publisher and year of publication. Paragraph 2 Major Characters Here you should include detailed information about the main characters. You may want to include a physical description of the characters and explain a little about their role in the novel. Paragraph 3 Minor Characters Here you can talk about minor characters following the same guideline as the above paragraph. Paragraph 4 Plot Summary This may be the most difficult paragraph to write. You need to condense the plot to one paragraph of 5-7 lines. Include only the key points and moments in the novella, and resist the urge to write beyond the limit of 7 sentences. Paragraph 5 Your Thoughts Here you can include your final thoughts about the novel. For example, you may want to comment on your level of enjoyment of the novel and if you think the novel is a classic that should be taught in school. You can state what you learned about the novel and give it an overall ranking. Your book report should follow the following criteria:  It should be typed in Times New Roman font size 12  It should be double spaced  It needs a title  It should be free of spelling and grammatical errors Please see the rubric for marking criteria. Mr. Johnson

Paragraph 4 Summary: The Pearl Book Report The Pearl is a novel written by John Steinbeck about greed and its effect on an indigenous family based in Mexico. In the novel, Kino finds a unique pearl that he thinks has a lot of value. Kino tries to sell the pearl but the buyers refuse to offer a legitimate price. Kino is attacked and kills a man during the attack. At this point Kino’s wife Juana wants to destroy the pearl. However, Kino wants to keep the pearl to see if he can get a better price for it. The couple decide to flee their town but are followed by trackers. Kino eventually becomes the tracker and he plans an ambush and kills the trackers. However, during the assault the baby Coyotito is accidentally killed by a stray bullet. Kino finally realizes he was wrong and his wife was right and he should have got rid of the pearl a long time ago. They return to their village in defeat.

Book Report Checklist: Final Check Before Handing In an Assignment:

1. Should be free of spelling and grammar and punctuation errors. 2. Is your paper double spaced? 3. Is your paper 5 paragraphs in length? 4. Did you use TNR size 12? 5. Have you got a title? 6. Have you followed the assignment criteria? 7. Have you added your name? Step One: Check Yourself

Step Two: Ask another student

Third Step: Ask DJ

Final Check: Check Yourself