MSCE ENGLISH LITERATURE

THE PEARL
(By John Steinbeck)

STUDY GUIDE

By MIKE KAUPEMBE

CONTACTS : 0884422533 / 0994634989

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born May 15, 1990, Mike is a well versed English and Chichewa teacher who holds a Diploma
in Education from Domasi College of Education. He is a short story writer and a playwright.
Some of his significant works include The Innocent Prostitute and other short stories which
appear on storystar online publication. Mike has a vast experience of teaching English and
Chichewa at secondary school level. He has once taught at Chichiri Secondary School, H & C
pvt Secondary School, St John's Area XII Academy,Finishline Mission Secondary School,
Chinamvuu C.D.S.S, Mulanje Boma C.D.S.S, Bangwe Secondary School and Matope C.D.S.S.
Currently, He is teaching English and Chichewa at Mchisu C.D.S.S in Dedza.

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Dedicated to all literature fanatics.

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INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE IN ENGLISH

Literature: these are written works especially those that are considered to have a long lasting
artistic
value or merit.

WHY DO WE STUDY LITERATURE IN ENGLISH (IMPORTANCES OF STUDYING LITERATURE)

1. It helps learners to be critical thinkers

2. It helps learners in developing the four language skills i.e. speaking, listening, reading
and writing

3. It provides amusement and entertainment to its readers or scholars

4. It helps in enriching or boosting ones vocabulary

5. It helps learners to know of other peoples culture

GENRES OF LITERATURE

Meaning of the term ‘Genre’

It is a class or type of literally piece of work

WRITTEN GENRES OF LITERATURE

a. Novel

b. Short story

c. Play

d. Poetry

NOVEL

It is a long narrative written in prose fiction OR it is an extended piece of prose fiction.

FEATURES OF A NOVEL

a. It is longer than a short story

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 b. It is fused with themes/ connected with themes

c. It has a diversified plot

d. It has well defined characters

SHORT STORY

It is a brief prose tale which may contain description, dialogue and commentary, but usually
plot functions as the engine driving the art

FEATURES OF A SHORT STORY

a. It has no prescribed length but generally shorter than a novel.

b. It is fused with themes.

c. It is written in paragraphs.

d. It can be written using different styles e.g. Flash back and foreshadowing.

e. It has well defined characters.

PLAY

It is a dramatic work designed to be presented or performed (acted) on stage.

FEATURES OF A PLAY

a. It consists of actors and actresses.

b. It spells out costume to be used

POETRY

A literary work that uses concise, colorful, often rhythmic language to express ideas or
emotions.

FEATURES OF POETRY

a. Written in verses or stanzas

b. Sometimes meanings are hidden behind verses

c. Verses can be of different lengths

DICTIONARY OF LITERARY TERMS

Literary terms are tools that are used when analyzing literary works.

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PLOT

Refers to the cause and effect relationship of events or it is the structure of a story OR the
sequence in which the author arranges events in a story.

CHARACTER

Refers to the actor or person taking part in a novel, story etc OR behavior of the actor or
character in a story, novel.

THEME

It refers to a central idea which may be stated directly or indirectly in a given literary piece of
work.

SETTING

It refers to the geographical location and time when the story, poem, play or novel takes place.

PERSONA

It refers to the speaker in a poem.

NARRA TOR

This is the person who tells the story or the point of view from which the story is being told.

ADDRESSEE

Refers to the recipient or target of the message from the persona

MOOD

It refers to an atmosphere created by the writer’s word choice (diction) and the details
selected.

MORAL

Refers to the lessons drawn from a fictional or non-fictional story

FICTION

A product of a writer’s imagination usually made up of characters, plot, setting, and point of
view and theme.

HYPERBOLE

It refers to an expression of exaggeration

SYMBOLISM

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Refers to the use of an object to represent an idea

PERSONIFICATION

This is the assigning of human qualities to non-human things

ONOMATOPOEIA

These are words that imitate sounds

OXYMORONS

The joining of two words that seem to be contradictory (opposites) but offer a unique effect.

SIMILE

A figurative comparison of two things, often dissimilar, using the connecting words: “like”, “as”
or “than”.

METAPHOR

This is the comparison of two dissimilar things without using the words “as” or “like” OR a
figure of speech that compares two unlike things without the use of “like” or “as”

ALLITERATION

The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words that happen in the same line of
a stanza in the poem. e.g “Peter piper picked a peck of pickledpeppers”

NEMESIS

A rival or opponent who cannot be overcome. It also means any situation or condition that one
cannot change or triumph over or an agent or act of punishment.

PARADOX

A paradox is a statement which seems on its face to be logically contradictory or absurd, yet
turns out to be interpretable in a way that make sense OR a seemingly contradictory statement
or situation which is actually true.

REFRAIN

A line or set of lines at the end of a stanza or section of a longer poem or song—these lines
repeat at regular intervals in other stanzas.

TONE

The attitude a writer takes towards a subject or character

REPETITION

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It refers to words or phrases used two or more times in close proximity

RHETORICAL QUESTION

A figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effect without the
expectation of a reply.

RHYME

A matching similarity of sounds in two or more words, especially when their accented vowels
and all succeeding consonants are identical

SARCASM

A type of verbal irony in which, under the guise of praise, a caustic and bitter expression of
strong and persona disapproval is given. Sarcasm is personal, jeering, and intended to hurt.

SATIRE

A work that reveals a critical attitude toward some element of human behavior by portraying it
in an extreme way. Satire doesn’t simply abuse ( as with invective) or get personal (as with
sarcasm). Satire usually targets groups or large concepts rather than individuals; its purpose is
customarily to inspire change.

IMAGERY

It is the use of words to create images in the mind of the reader. The readers can actually see,
hear, feel, taste or smell something by just reading apiece of literature. The readers are what
make up imagery. Thus in imagery five senses can be explored to produce the desired effort.

STANZA

This refers to a verse or group of words belonging together to form a kind of a paragraph

LINE

This is the group of words in a single line of a poem. A number of lines are what make up a
stanza or verse.

POINT OF VIEW

This explains/ shows from whose eye the story is told

TYPES OF POINT OF VIEW

1ST PERSON POINT OF VIEW

In this point of view, the pronouns which are used are ‘I’, ‘We’, ‘Us’

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Through this point of view the author tells the story as if he/she is the one of the characters.
The story is told in the first person using the pronoun “I”. Rarely does the author use “we”. The
narrator in the first person point of view may either be a major or minor character, a
protagonist or an observer.

When this point of view is used, the story sounds more realistic and immediate. Furthermore
this point of view offers excellent opportunity for dramatic irony to be achieved. One can easily
see the discrepancies between what the narrator knows and what he/she does not know.

2ND PERSON POINT OF VIEW E.G. YOU

3RD PERSON POINT OF VIEW E.G. HE OR SHE

TYPES OF THIRD PERSON POINT OF VIEW

i. third person omniscient point of view

Through this point of view the story is told by the author using third person pronouns he/she.
The narrator has unlimited knowledge and powers over his characters. He or She knows
everything that takes place in the story including what happens in the mind of the characters.
The author is like a god. The omniscient point of view is very flexible and permits widest
scope of the story. On the other hand there may be too much telling instead of showing the
events and leaving the readers to make their own conclusions.

ii. third person Limited omniscient point of view

Through this point of view the author tells a story in the third person but tells it in the view of
one character in the story. The author looks at events through the eyes and mind of the
character. Unlike in Omniscient point of view the author only knows everything about one
character. He or she tells the readers what the character sees, hears, thinks and feels. The
author may also go further to explain or interpret the experiences of this chosen character. He/
she know other characters through this chosen one.

IRONY

This is the way of saying something whereby the actual is the opposite.

TYPES OF IRONY

Verbal Irony

In this type, what is said mean just the opposite OR is when the author says one thing and
means something else.

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Dramatic Irony

In dramatic irony one of the characters is unaware of what is happening and believes the
opposite of what appears to be. However the audience is aware of the truth but cannot do
anything about it. OR this is when an audience perceives something that a character in the
literature does not know.

Situational Irony

In this type of irony, what appears to be in a certain situation is actually the direct opposite of it
OR is the discrepancy between the expected result and actual results OR in this Irony the
discrepancy is between appearance and reality or between expectations and fulfillment.

INTRODUCTION
THE PEARL is a novella about a ' fortune' that brings misfortunes. It is set within five hectic
days in the life of a Mexican-Indian pearl diver, Kino, who lives in La Paz, a small port on the
gulf of California, Mexico.

GENERAL PLOT
∙ Kino is unofficially married to Juana and the two are blessed with a son named
Coyotito.

∙ Coyotito gets stung by a poisonous scorpion.

∙ Juana cannot afford to lose her only son. She tries the best she can to save him.

∙ She sucks the scorpion's poison from the puncture and later decides to take her son to
a doctor

∙ The doctor refuses to treat Coyotito because Kino has no money to pay

∙ Kino and Juana decide to dive for pearls with the hope of finding some valuable pearls,
to sell, and be able to pay for their son's treatment.

∙ Juana bargains with her people's gods and also prays to the Christian God to consider
helping them find valuable pearls

∙ She makes a better poultice of seaweed and places it on Coyotito's swelling shoulder

∙ Kino finds the greatest pearl of the world.

∙ Kino cogitates upon the good that his new found fortune poses to bring

∙ He pictures in his mind officially marrying Juana, possessing a rifle and a new harpoon,
and also sending his son to school.

∙ The news that Kino has found the great pearl of the world spreads so fast in La Paz and
all nearby areas, and Kino quickly becomes the talk of the day.

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 ∙ Many people try to intrude on Kino's dream.

∙ The priest comes to express his hope so that Kino will not forget the church after
selling the pearl.

∙ The doctor comes over to pretend to treat Coyotito and he also manages to trick Kino to
reveal the place where he has hidden the pearl

∙ An unknown man comes at night and tries to steal the pearl from Kino but he fails

∙ The pearl dealers persuade Kino to sell them the pearl but Kino refuses because they
are offering very low prices

∙ Kino announces that he will take the pearl to the capital city and try to sell it at a good
price

∙ Juan Tomas advises Kino to tread carefully since he has defied the pearl dealers

∙ Juana advises Kino to crush the pearl between stones but Kino refuses, saying that he
is a man and cannot be cheated

∙ Juana steals the pearl and attempts to throw it back into the sea but Kino stops her.

∙ Three mysterious men attack Kino to take the pearl but Kino kills one of them and he
drops the pearl on the pathway

∙ Juana finds the pearl and submissively returns it to Kino and suggests that they must
flee to save him from arrest

∙ Kino goes to get his canoe but he finds that someone has knocked a hole on its bottom

∙ Kino's brush house is burnt to ashes

∙ Kino and his family hide at Juan Tomas' house awaiting escape

∙ Juan Tomas borrows provisions for Kino's journey

∙ Kino and his family depart at night and embark on their escape journey

∙ The trackers find Kino's trail and they follow him

∙ Kino and his family stop to rest in a cave while the trackers camp just below them

∙ Kino sneaks up on the trackers to try to steal their gun and kill them.

∙ Coyotito cries and one of the trackers thinks that it is a Coyote pup and shoots in that
direction

∙ Kino kills the three trackers but on return finds that the top of Coyotito's head has been
blown off

∙ Kino and Juana return to La Paz carrying their dead child

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 ∙ They walk through the town to the gulf shore

∙ Kino pulls out the great pearl and offers it to Juana but she declines

∙ Kino throws the pearl back into the sea

Because of its tragic dimensions, their story becomes for ever one of the town's legends.

GENERAL SETTING
∙ Set in La Paz, a small port on the gulf of California, Mexico

∙ Mostly among a Mexican-Indian community

∙ Set within a period of Five days

CHAPTER ONE

PLOT SUMMARY

∙ Kino wakes up and looks at the hanging box where his son, Coyotito, is sleeping.

∙ He adores his wife who is also awake and resting peacefully.

∙ Dawn approaches and Kino thinks about the song of the family

∙ Juana rises up to prepare breakfast

∙ Juana sings softly to Coyotito part of the family song

∙ Kino looks at his wife and son and thinks that with them he is safe,warm and whole

∙ Kino sees a scorpion moving down the rope of Coyotito's hanging box and immediately
the song of Evil comes up in his mind

∙ Kino's heart beats faster and he wakes up to grab the scorpion

∙ Coyotito shakes the rope, the scorpion falls and stings him on the shoulder

∙ Coyotito screams loud in pain

∙ Juana immediately takes the baby out of the box and tries to suck the puncture to
remove the poison

∙ Kino's brother, Juan Tomas, and his fat wife, Apolonia, and other neighbors come to

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 find out why Coyotito is crying so loud

∙ Juana decides to take her son to the doctor who never comes to the brush houses

∙ Juan Tomas and his wife and other neighbors follow Kino and Juana to the doctor's
house

∙ On the way, beggars follow them to see if the doctor would treat the ailing baby

∙ Kino loses hope of getting the doctor’s treatment knowing that the doctor’s race
considered their race as lesser race

∙ Kino tells the doctor’s servant that his son has been poisoned by a scorpion

∙ The doctor refuses to treat Coyotito because Kino has no money to pay him

∙ Kino and the rest leave the doctor’s premises but on the exit Kino strikes the gate

SETTING
∙ In the morning, among an impoverished Mexican-Indian community

∙ At the doctor’s house

CHARACTER ANALYSIS
∙ KINO

-loving : he feels bad when his son is stung by a scorpion

-satisfied and content: he seems to be squarely enjoying the company of his wife and
son though he lacks material possessions

JUANA

-Supportive: she is always by Kino's side

-loving: she is happy to have Kino as her husband though He is poor

-she is also deeply concerned with her son's life

∙ JUAN TOMAS AND APOLONIA

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 -Helpful: they accompany Kino and Juana to the doctor’s house

-sympathetic: they rush to find out what is amiss upon hearing Coyotito's strange
screams

∙ THE DOCTOR

-uncompassionate: refuses to treat the helpless sick child simply because his parents
are penniless

-discriminatory: considered people of Kino's less as animals

THEMES
∙ Poverty

∙ Neighborly love

∙ Social Inequality

∙ Racial segregation

CHAPTER TWO
∙ Kino and Juana walk down the beach to Kino's canoe (the only thing of value that Kino
has)

∙ Coyotito is still battling the scorpion's sting and the swelling goes up even to his face

∙ Juana makes a poultice of seaweed and places it on Coyotito's shoulder

∙ Kino and Juana ride the canoe to find pearl oysters

∙ Kino dives into the sea and works steadily under the water

∙ He gathers some small valueless pearls before he finds the great pearl of the world

∙ Kino comes out of the water with due excitement for finding a massive pearl

∙ He opens the various other pearls he had gathered leaving the great pearl for last

∙ Juana checks on Coyotito and finds that the swelling has receded

∙ Kino opens the last large pearl oyster and howls upon finding that it’s the GREAT
PEARL OF THE WORLD

∙ Other fishermen on the sea come to witness what Kino has found.

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 SETTING
∙ At the beach where Kino and Juana search for pearls

CHARACTER ANALYSIS

∙ KINO

-Hardworking and caring: He longs to save his son by any means necessary.

-desperate: his quest to dive for pearls comes in the midst of desperation to save
Coyotito

∙ JUANA

-Supportive: she assists Kino in searching for pearls

THEMES
∙ Poverty

∙ Tradional values versus modern conveniences

∙ Desperation

CHAPTER THREE
∙ The news that Kino has found the great pearl of the world spreads so fast in the
entire La Paz town.

∙ Everyone becomes interested in Kino; the priest, the doctor, the beggars e.t.c

∙ Juana Tomas asks Kino what he will do since he has become a rich man

∙ Kino imagines being officially married to Juana, owning a gun and a harpoon, and
sending his son to school

∙ The neighbors gather at Kino's house and find it very hard to leave

∙ The priest comes to encourage Kino to consider giving thanks to God after selling
the pearl

∙ The doctor also comes to pretend to treat Coyotito

∙ Kino wraps the pearl in a rag and digs a hole and hides it there

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 ∙ The doctor comes again and gives Coyotito water with ammonia claiming that the
baby will get well now

∙ Kino promises to pay the doctor once he has sold the pearl

∙ The doctor suggests that he should keep the pearl for Kino but Kino declines

∙ The doctor tricks Kino to reveal where he had hidden the pearl

∙ A strange man comes to steal the pearl but Kino strikes and the man escapes

∙ Juana advises Kino to destroy the pearl claiming that it is evil but Kino refuses
saying that the pearl is their only chance and hope

∙ Kino tells Juana that He will sell the pearl the next morning

CHARACTER ANALYSIS
∙ THE PRIEST

-Hypocritical: he visits Kino simply because Kino has found the great pearl of the world

∙ THE DOCTOR

-Decietful: his visit to Kino is not in good faith. He simply wants to cheat Kino and be
the one to benefit from the pearl

∙ KINO

-Hopeful and optimistic: Kino imagines all the good the pearl will bring to his life and
family

∙ JUANA

-Pessimistic: she feels the pearl is evil and fears that it will destroy their family

THEMES
∙ Deceit and Pretence

∙ Jealousy

∙ Hypocrisy

CHAPTER FOUR
∙ Kino decides to sell the pearl to the dealers on this particular day

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 ∙ The pearl dealers are waiting for Kino in their offices and they have already set their
prices

∙ Kino's neighbors talk of what they would do with the pearl if it were in their possession

∙ The neighbors only worry that the pearl might destroy Kino and his family

∙ Kino envisions this day as a day his poverty would come to an end

∙ The neighbors follow Kino as he takes the pearl to the dealers

∙ Juana Tomas cautions Kino to tread carefully so that the pearl dealers should not fool
him

∙ The pearl dealers inspect Kino's pearl and claim that the pearl is like fools gold too
large and valuable only as curiosity

∙ Kino argues that his pearl is the pearl of the world which no one has ever seen before

∙ The first dealer offers Kino 1000 pesos which Kino turns down and claims that his pearl
is worth 50 thousand

∙ The second dealer offers 500 and Kino rejects and announces that he will take the pearl
to the capital city where he shall sell it at a good price

∙ The people of La Paz argue over whether Kino should have accepted the offers or not
with some saying it would still be the largest sum he ever had

∙ Juana Tomas advises Kino to be watchful now that he has defied the dealers

∙ Kino feels a sense of evil outside his house and he wields his knife

∙ Kino goes outside to check if there are any enemies

∙ Juana follows him only to find him with blood and a cut on his cheek

∙ Juana tells Kino that the pearl is evil and they must destroy it but kino refuses

∙ He insists that he is a man and therefore cannot be cheated

∙ Kino prepares to take the pearl to the Capital the next day

SETTING
∙ On the shore of La Paz

∙ At Pearl dealers' offices

CHARACTER ANALYSIS
∙ KINO

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 -Courageous: he challenges the pearl dealers who offer him low prices. He seems not
moved by the danger poised for despising the dealers

-Adamant: he makes up his mind to take the pearl to the Capital

-Arrogant/stubborn: he chooses not to take heed of his wife's advice to destroy the
pearl

-Protective: when he smells danger outside his house, he wields his knife and steps
outside to strike

∙ JUANA

-Fearful: she is afraid that the pearl might destroy her family

∙ JUAN TOMAS

-Concerned: he fears for his brother's life

-Realistic: advises Kino to tread carefully after he refuses to sell the pearl to the dealers

∙ THE PEARL DEALERS

-Tricky/deceptive/manipulative: they try to make Kino believe that his pearl is worthless
so as to buy it at a low price

-Exploitative: they buy pearls from fishermen at very low prices and later sell them at
much higher prices

THEMES
∙ Determination

∙ Trickery or deception

∙ Exploitation

CHAPTER FIVE
∙ Juana steals the Pearl from Kino and attempts to throw it back into the sea

∙ Kino stops her and punches her in the face

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 ∙ Kino takes the pearl and walks up the beach and through the brush line.

∙ Some three anonymous men attack Kino and try to take the pearl away from him

∙ Kino wrestles with them and the pearl drops on the pathway

∙ Kino kills one of attackers and the other two run away

∙ Juana finds the pearl and submissively returns it to her husband

∙ She advises Kino that they must run away before daylight

∙ Kino orders Juana to get Coyotito and all the corn that they have

∙ Kino goes to the shore but finds that someone has knocked a hole on his canoe’s
bottom

∙ He rushes to find Juana and Coyotito and he is told that their house is burnt down

∙ Kino and his family hide at Juan Tomas' house and when Kino tells about a man he has
killed, his brother blames it all on the pearl

∙ Kino tells his brother that he will head north and he will not give up the pearl because
he believes the pearl is his life.

CHARACTER ANALYSIS
∙ KINO

-Outrageous/violent: he strikes Juana for attempting to throw the pearl back into the
sea

-Obsessed: Kino is deeply obsessed with the good the pearl will bring. He cannot
afford to lose it. He cannot let anyone take away the pearl from him even if it means
laying down his own life. He is ready to kill just to protect the pearl and he believes
that losing the pearl is the same as losing his life.

∙ JUANA

-Instinctive and realistic: she has the premonition that the pearl will do them more
damage than good. She decides to throw the pearl back into the sea seeing that
Kino is not taking heed of her advice. She wants to protect her family from the
calamities that the pearl poses to bring.

∙ JUAN TOMAS

-Caring and sympathetic: he allows to keep his brother at his house though it is
risky. He also borrows provisions for Kino's journey

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 -Realistic: he blames the pearl for all the misfortunes that his brother encounters

∙ THE UNKNOWN MEN

-Envious: they attempt to steal the pearl from Kino

THEMES
∙ Wife battering/ violence against women

∙ Insecurity

∙ Obsession

∙ Jealousy

∙ Self-defense

∙ Hope for prosperity

CHAPTER SIX
∙ Kino and his family secretly escape from La Paz and head northward

∙ Kino fears that they might be followed

∙ They walk all night and only rest during the day

∙ Kino try to cover the tracks to confuse the trackers

∙ He fears that whosoever finds them will kill them and take the pearl

∙ Juana wonders whether the dealers were right when they said the pearl has no value

∙ Kino believes that the pearl is precious because if it were valueless then people would
not have tried to steal it from him

∙ He imagines once more the three major things he will do after selling the pearl.

∙ They stop to rest and Kino falls into deep sleep where he dreams a terrible dream

∙ He wakes up with an uneasy feeling and Juana asks him if there's a problem

∙ They hear noises from a distance and Kino tells Juana to keep Coyotito quiet

∙ Kino moves carefully through the brush to witness what he heard

∙ Three trackers one riding a horse observe their tracks

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 ∙ Kino resolves that if the three men find him he will jump over the horseman, take his
gun and kill them before they have a chance to kill him

∙ The trackers pass by without noticing Kino who is hiding under a fallen tree branch

∙ Kino and Juana decide to hide to the mountain fearing that the trackers might find them

∙ Kino suggests that Juana and Coyotito should remain behind while he proceeds alone
to the Capital but Juana declines

∙ They move in zigzag path in order to confuse the trackers and they find a stream which
leads them to a cave

∙ The trackers get close to Kino and decide to camp for a rest just below the cave where
Kino and his family are hiding

∙ Kino fears that Coyotito might cry and alert them and he decides to attack the trackers
first before they have a chance to attack him

∙ He creeps naked (so as not be seen) towards them as they rest

∙ Coyotito cries but one of the trackers thinking it is a coyote pup just idly shoots in that
direction

∙ Kino manages to kill the three trackers but on return finds that the head of Coyotito has
been blown off

∙ Kino and Juana go back to La Paz Carrying their dead child and people just stare at
them in awe but nobody speaks to them

∙ They walk through the town to the gulf shore

∙ Kino offers Juana the pearl to throw it back into the sea as she had earlier wished but
Juana refuses

∙ Kino throws back the great pearl of the world into the sea

''and the music of the pearl drifted to whisper and disappeared.''

CHARACTER ANALYSIS
∙ KINO

-Determined: though he is aware of the dangerous situation he is into, he chooses not

to relent

-Defensive/ protective: when he notices that he is being followed, he decides to strike

first before he is attacked

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 -Animalistic and brutal: he removes all his clothing and brutally kills the trackers out of
mere fear that once they find him first, they will kill him

∙ JUANAS

-Strong and supportive: she does not abandon Kino in all the trying moments. She is by
Kino's side through thick and thin. She refuses to remain behind when Kino suggests
so.

∙ THE TRACKERS

-Observant: they manage to follow Kino and Juana's tracks perfectly

-Envious: they want to have the pearl in their possession

THEMES
∙ Distinction between human and animal

∙ Tragic Death

∙ Brutality

∙ Fear

∙ Self defense

∙ Courage

∙ Determination

LANGUAGE AND STYLE

SYMBOLISM

∙ The pearl in the novel acts as a symbol. It symbolizes hope for prosperity. Through the
pearl Kino imagines a beautiful life that would dawn in his life.

∙ The boat which Kino has also symbolizes family heritage. The boat was passed on to
Kino from his Grandfather and it is the only thing of value that he owns.

IRONY

∙ It is ironical how the pearl brings misery to Kino's life. Kino thought the pearl would
bring financial freedom to his family, but unfortunately he suffers a great loss; his
canoe destroyed, his house burnt, and his son killed.

∙ The way Coyotito dies is ironical. The tracker hears the baby cry and thinks that it is a

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 'Coyote pup', which somehow resembles the baby's name.

FLASHBACK

∙ Used when Juan Tomas recalls the way their ancestors used to conduct pearl
business.

POINT OF VIEW

∙ The novel is told from the third person omniscient narration/point of view. However, it
is limited to Kino's perspective

GUIDELINES FOR WRITING LITERATURE ESSAYS

∙ The introduction must be as brief as possible.( Do not write lengthy introductions. The
introduction is awarded no marks-just say what the essay is going to discuss).

∙ Discuss 8 points in your essay. (Arrange the points in a logical and chronological order.
Each point should be expounded in a separate paragraph).

∙ Support your points with relevant examples. The examples must strictly come from the
book.

∙ Observe correct spellings, punctuation and grammar.

∙ Use simple and straightforward English.

∙ Just like the introduction, the conclusion must be very brief. The conclusion again
carries no marks but still must be written.

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From the LMA, MIKE KAUPEMBE © 2017

Mikekaupembe©2017
Mikekaupembe©2017