The Pearl STudy Guide Answers

Chapter 1

1. At what time of day does the novella begin? Sunrise
2. List the 3 main characters. Kino, Juana, and Coyotito
3. What race are they? Native Indian
4. Describe the house in which they live. It is a brush house in a village of brush houses on the beach. It has one room, dirt floor, hole in roof for the fire, hanging basket for Coyotito to lie in, and a straw mat on the floor for Kino and Juana.
5. What terrible incident happens early in the novella? A scorpion stings Coyotito.
6. Describe (a) Kino’s, (b) Juana’s, (c) Coyotito’s reaction to the incident.

1. Protector and Provider: Kino punishes the scorpion for invading his home and attacking his family but smashing it with his hand and grinding it into the dirt floor.
2. Caretaker: Juana prays to both the Christian God and to the pagan gods (ancient magic) while the scorpion is dangling above the basket, and after the sting she immediately rushes to Coyotito and begins to suck the poison out of his shoulder.
3. Coyotito laughs at the scorpion as it is dangling above him. After he cries.

1. What is Kino’s brother’s name? Juan Tomas
2. What is Kino’s Sister-in-law’s name? Apolonia
3. Describe Kino’s views of his wife. Juana is patient, fragile, but full of iron. She is respectful and cheerful. She was almost as strong as a man. She could handle hardships such as pain and hunger and fatigue and childbirth.
4. Describe the doctor. How do we know he was wealthy? He was fat, lazy, cruel, greedy, and sinful. He was a bad doctor; he was responsible for the deaths of some of his patients instead of curing them. He lived in the plaster and stone town. He had a servant. He came over from France where he used to live with his rich wife.
5. Why could Kino have killed the doctor more easily than talk to him? Because the doctor was of a race which had beaten, starved, and robbed Kino’s race. The doctor’s race spoke to Kino’s race as if they were animals. He was afraid of the white Europeans but hated them at the same time.
6. What is the doctor’s reply when he learns that a scorpion has stung Coyotito? He is not a Veterinary who has time to cure insect bites for little Indians.
7. Describe Kino’s reaction to the news that the doctor will not treat his son. He hits the gate on the doctor’s house. He cuts his hands.

Chapter 2

1. What is the one thing of value that Kino owns? His canoe
2. Why is this possession so important to him? Because a man with a canoe can feed and provide for his family. He can guarantee that they will not go hungry.
3. For what does Juana pray while Kino dives for pearls? She prays that they will find a pearl with which to pay the doctor to treat/ cure Coyotito.
4. Describe how a pearl is formed. A piece of sand gets into an oyster and the oyster covers that sand with smooth cement. The flesh of the oyster continues to coat that foreign body until it falls out or the oyster is destroyed.
5. List Kino’s equipment used when diving for pearls. He has a rock, basket, two ropes, and a knife.
6. Which song remains hidden in the back of Kino’s mind all the time? The song of the family.
7. Why does Juana pretend to look away and not be excited about finding the great pearl? She doesn’t want God or the gods to take away their luck. She is very superstitious. She doesn’t want anyone to know how much she wants it for fear that they will try to take it away.
8. Describe the Great pearl. Large as a sea gull’s egg, perfect as the moon. Captured the light and refined it and gave it back in silver incandescence.
9. What name is given to the pearl? The Pearl of the World
10. How does Kino react to finding the great pearl? He yells out for all who are near to hear.

Chapter 3

1. Why has Kino become “every man’s enemy?” He stands between them and the pearl.
2. What are some of Kino’s wishes now that he has found the pearl? He wants to get married in the church, get new clothes, get a new harpoon—then changes it to a rifle. This opens a whole new realm of possibilities. Coyotito can go to school and learn what the white Europeans have been keeping from the natives in order to subjugate them.
3. What is the priest’s chief motivation for visiting Kino and Juana? Money
4. Why does the doctor pay Kino a house call? To have a reason to demand money from the pearl.
5. How does the doctor prove to Kino that the “poison has gone inward and will strike soon?” He said that Coyotito’s eyelid was blue and should not be.
6. What had the doctor hoped to see when he asks, “Do you keep this pearl in a safe place?” He hoped that Kino would look over to where he hid the pearl.
7. As they go to sleep, Juana asks Kino whom it is that he fears. What is his reply? Everyone
8. During the first night that Kino has found the pearl, what terrible thing happens? Someone breaks into the hut and attacks Kino
9. What does Juan say about the pearl after the terrible incident? What is Kino’s reply? Juana says it is evil and will destroy their family even their son. Kino replies that once they sell the pearl the evil will be gone and only the good will remain.
10. On the second morning of the novella, how do Kino and Juana’s attitudes change? They begin the day with Hope.

Chapter 4

1. What is the name of the town that Juan and Kino live near? La Paz
2. How is the pearl buying and selling market a setup? One man owns all 4 shops so that there is the appearance of competition but there is not really any competition.
3. Why don’t the fishermen dive for pearls on the morning Kino is to sell his pearl? Because they all want to see how much money he gets for his pearl. It has become an historic event.
4. Who walked side by side with Kino on his way to sell the pearl? Juan Tomas
5. What is the first agent doing behind the table? Rolling a coin around his fingers.
6. How do we know that the first agent really values the pearl? He drops the coin onto his lap
7. What is the first offer made to Kino? He called it a fool’s gold and offered him 1000 pesos.
8. What is the final offer? 1500 pesos
9. Where does Kino intend to sell the pearl? In the Capitol
10. What happens the evening that Kino tried to sell his pearl? Kino is attacked outside his hut while Juana tries to prepare Dinner.
11. How does Juana feel about the pearl at this time? She thinks it is evil and will destroy their family.
12. What is Kino’s response to her? This pearl is their only hope to change the world in which they are living.

Chapter 5

1. How does Juana betray Kino just before dawn? Juana tries to throw the pearl back in the ocean.
2. What is Kino’s reaction? Kino beats her up to stop it. He almost kills her.
3. What happens to Kino as he heads back up to the brush house with the pearl? As he is running from that act, he is attacked and the pearl falls farther down the path. He kills a man with his knife and is knocked out and searched.
4. Who recovers the pearl? Juana finds the pearl and sees what has happened
5. Why do Juana and Kino have to leave? They are forced to run away from La Paz because Kino has become everyone’s enemy and has killed a man. They know that even though it was in self-defense, no one in the town will be on his side.
6. What other disasters occur that night? Juana goes to get Coyotito and Kino goes to get the canoe ready. Men have knocked a hole in the canoe and set their hut on fire. They can’t stay but have no way to leave.
7. In whose house do Kino and Juana take refuge before fleeing? Juan Tomas and Apolonia
8. Why would the wind be good for Juana and Kino? Because it will sweep away their tracks.
9. At the end of chapter 5 what does Kino say the pearl has become to him? His soul

Chapter 6

1. What does Kino see in the pearl now? He tries to look for the rifle he will have when he sells his pearl, but instead sees the man he kills. He looks for the wedding in the church but sees Juana lying in the water beaten and bloody. He looks for Coyotito going to school but sees him swollen from the poison medicine that the doctor gave him.
2. Where do Kino and Juana finally take refuge? In a cave in the mountains
3. Who is after them? 3 trackers. 1 on horseback with a rifle and two on foot.
4. What noise is heard as Kino approaches the trackers? Coyotito cries
5. What do the trackers believe the noise to be? A coyote
6. What happens when the noise is heard a second time? The tracker with the gun shoots in the general direction of the noise.
7. How does Kino kill each tracker? He stabs the first man in the neck. He hits the second man in the head with the butt of the rifle. He shots the third man and then shoots him in the head between the eyes.
8. Explain the noise that is heard from the stone mountain cave? Juana screams when Coyotito is shot in the head by the trackers.
9. How are Juan and Kino walking as they return home? They are walking side by side. Kino carried a rifle and Juana carried the dead Coyotito. They don’t look to the left or the right., They don’t look at the broken canoe or the burnt house. It seems like they carry sorrow with them. They are beyond tired. They have come through the greatest sorrow and cannot be touched by whatever the town wants to give them.
10. What images does Kino see in the pearl? In Chapter 3 he sees the church wedding, new clothes, a rifle, and Coyotito going to school. Those visions change as the novella wears on. See number 55. At the end of the book he sees the eyes of the man he shot at the pool and he sees Coyotito’s head shot away.
11. Where is the pearl at the end of the novel? Buried on the bottom of the ocean.