The Pearl

The Pearl

• Genre: Fiction; historical classic
• Originally Published: 1947
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 1010L; grades 9-12; college/adult
• Structure/Length: 6 chapters; approx. 96 pages; approx. 2 hours, 35 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: Kino, a young man in Mexico, dives for pearls for a living near his town of La Paz. One day he finds a valuable pearl; he and wife Juana rejoice, believing their newfound wealth means a better life, starting with a doctor for their ailing child. Ironically, the pearl brings only conflict and tragedy, and Kino eventually throws it back into the sea.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Poverty; colonialism; violence; racism and prejudice

John Steinbeck, Author

• Bio: Born in 1902 in California; raised near the Pacific Coast; attended Stanford University to study literature but left before earning a degree; worked as a manual laborer and New York City reporter; met success with writing in 1935 with Tortilla Flat; traveled throughout the western US during the Great Depression, which influenced his writing; known for his treatment of social and economic issues through the plights of his characters; earned the Nobel Prize for Literature (1962) for body of work
• Other Works: Of Mice and Men (1937); The Grapes of Wrath (1939); East of Eden (1952)
• Awards: The Pulitzer Prize for The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit:

• The Instruments of Colonial Oppression
• The Corrupting Influence of Greed
• Pride Versus Humility in Family Relationships

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Unit, students will:

• Develop an understanding of the natural, economic, and literary contexts underlying Steinbeck’s exploration of Greed and Colonialism via Kino’s experiences with the pearl.
• Analyze short paired texts and other resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Colonialism, Greed, and Family.
• Gather, synthesize, and present information and recommendations, including a visual aid, responding to Kino’s questions from a standpoint supported by modern research.
• Examine and appraise the themes, motifs, and other literary devices to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding superstition, greed, and other topics.