Novel: The Pearl by John Steinback
"Wealth brings evil and destruction."
CHAPTER ONE
The New Day/ Awakening
The story opens with Kino, the central character in this novella, awakening at dawn in his simple "brush house in the tuna clump." As he listens to the pleasantly familiar early morning sights and sounds, he counts his blessing - his lovely dutiful wife, Juana lying beside him and his son, Coyotito, asleep in the hanging box. With closed eyes, Kino listens to his music- ' song of the Family'. As Juana rises to prepare breakfast, he goes out to watch the dawn breaking in an ' explosion of fire'. He observes the ants, ' big black ones' and 'little dusty quick ants' with ' the detachment of God'. He accepts the homage of his dog, ' a black dog with yellow-gold spots . . .'. Kino then eats his breakfast contentedly.
The Scorpion Episode
After a simple breakfast of corn-cake and pulque, Kino and Juana observe a scorpion moving slowly down the rope, which supported the baby's hammock. The Song of Evil rises in his mind almost drowning out The Song of the Family. Juana whispers prayers. Kino stealthily approaches the enemy. The baby, laughing, shakes the rope. The scorpion falls, stinging the baby's shoulder. In a rage, Kino crushes the enemy, and Juana sucks out venom from the wound. The baby's screams brings in the neighbours. Juana asks for a doctor. When told that he will not visit a squatter, she decides to take her baby to the doctor in the ' city of stone and plaster'.
The Procession to the Doctor's house
Juana carries Coyotito in her arms. She is followed by Kino and a procession of concerned and curious neighbours, including Juana Torres and Apolonio. The newcomers from the outskirts and the four beggars from the front of the church followed too. The beggars correctly anticipates the doctor will refuse to treat the pauper's child. With mixed fear and rage, Kino sounds the knocker at the gate. The native servant refuses to speak ' the old language' choosing to answer Kino in the tongue of the enemy, the alien race to which the doctor belonged.
The Encounter between Kino and the Doctor
The doctor belongs to a race which had subjugated Kino's people for 4 hundred years. He is in his bedroom at that time. His bedroom is furnished with fraudulent luxury and reeks of fraudulent piety. He is sitting in bed, sipping chocolate and dreaming of his short glorious stay in
CHAPTER TWO
The Beach
The chapter starts with a lengthy description of the beach. The graceful old canoes are in the background. The air is hazy and mirages hang over the beach so vision cannot be trusted. Kino and Juana came to the shore and to Kino's canoe which was the one thing of value he owned in the world. It was a symbol of security and the guarantor of his capacity as a provider for his wife and child. Juana places a damp poultice made of seaweed on Coyotito's wound. This is a traditional cure. She had prayed that they might find a pearl for which to hire the doctor to cure the baby. Kino and Juana when to the sea to find oyster.
Under the sea
Kino moves cautiously in the water as he searches for oysters. The Song of the Sea and the Song of the
CHAPTER THREE
Description of the town as a biological organism
The chapter begins with a description of the town as a biological organism with a mysterious nervous system of communication. Soon, the news of Kino's pearl sweeps through the townsfolk, the priest, the shopkeepers, the doctors, the beggars, and the pearl divers. Each person responds with greedy self-interest, calculating how he may acquire a share of the profit. The town fills with envy, and something black and evil is distilled in the town, like the poison of the scorpion.
The Vision
The music of the pearl and the Song of the Family mingle and both are good. Kino sees visions in the translucent surface of the pearl. He sees himself married to Juana in church, he sees fine clothes, a new harpoon and even a
The Visit by the Priest
The priest comes to see Kino and reminds him that he is named after a great man. Kino hears faintly the music of evil but does not know the source. The priest mentions the pearl, reminds Kino of his duty to the church, praises him for his intention of marrying Juana and blesses them before he leaves. Kino's hand closes tightly on the pearl with a shrill evil cry in his ear.
The Visit by the Doctor
The doctor visits Kino playing upon his ignorance and fear. He suggests that the scorpion's venom may yet be working evil effects in Coyotito. Only he, the doctor, can save the child with his superior knowledge. Kino is enraged and suspects the doctor is lying but he is fearful. The doctor shows them false evidence of poisoning. He skillfully administers a drug. He promises to return in an hour. Kino buries the pearl in the dirt floor of the hut.
The Doctor Returns
The drug administered by the doctor begins to take effect and the baby becomes convulsively ill. Kino remembering the drug, hears the song of evil which drowns out Juana's crooning song of the Family. News of the illness travels and neighbours came to help and comfort the stricken family. The doctor returns and administers the antidote. Bringing up the subject of payment, the doctor tricks Kino into revealing, with a flick of his eye, the hiding place of the pearl.
The First Attack
Kino listens to the night sounds fearfully. He changes the hiding place of the pearl and admits . They sleep and Kino dreams. His dream turns to darkness and the song of evil awakens his every sense to danger. He senses the presence of an intruder in the house. He drives the intruder away after striking him with his knife. He receives a blow in his head.
Dawn: The Beginning of a New Day
The new day begins with the crowing of the roosters. The waves make morning music. Kino digs up his pearl and stares at it. The beauty of the
CHAPTER FOUR
The town as a living organism
The town is portrayed as a living organism with a nervous system. The news that Kino is going to sell his pearl that day spread very quickly to the neighbours, the fishermen, the grocers, the altar boys, the nuns in the town, the beggars and the also the little boys. Most of all, the news reaches the pearl buyers who conspire and cheat the pearl fishers. We are shown a panoramic view of the natural environment; the estuary for the Gulf and the mirage of the distant mountain, the beach which usually vibrant with human activities is now deserted and abandoned, and the brush huts; here the neighbours speculate on what each would do with the treasure like the pearl.
The Procession to the Pearl Buyers
Kino and Juana dress themselves in their best rags, solemnly and carefully. The triumphal procession begins with Juan Tomas and Kino, followed by others. Juan Tomas, the older brother, warns Kino to be careful and take care not to be cheated.
The Bargaining
The pearl buyers wait, each in his office for Kino's visit. One hypocritically jovial man plays disappearing tricks with a coin while he waits. The first buyer offers a thousand pesos for the pearl which he alleges is too large to be worth anything but a curiosity. Kino refuses and the buyer sends for the 'independent buyers' to confirm his opinion. Each players plays his assigned role in the farce , confirming the first dealer's opinion, offering five hundred as the lowest and fifteen hundred as the highest price. The pearl buyers went too far in their attempt to cheat Kino. Kino takes his pearl and announces that he will take it to the capital to sell.
In the Evening
The neighbours gathered in their huts to discuss the events. They are divided in opinion as to the value of the pearl, the wisdom of Kino's decision and the good faith of the buyers. In his own hut, Kino suffers deeply. He feels alienated. Juan Tom,as visits Kino. He warns Kino that he is courting danger in defying a of life and departs.
The second Attack
Kino is fearful of the night sounds as he sits brooding on his stepping mat. Juana watches with concern. Kino, suddenly sensing evil outside, goes out with his knife. Juana follows with a hastily snatched stone from the fire place. There is a brief struggle which leaves Kino wounded and semi conscious from a blow from an assailant who escapes. Juana warns him the pearl is evil and begs him to throw it away. He refuses and insists on selling it in the capital.
CHAPTER FIVE
Juana Throws the Pearl
In the early hours of the morning, Kino sees Juana silently rise, takes the pearl from the hiding place and glide out the door. She moves towards the sea. He reaches her and wrenches the pearl out of her hand just as she is about to throw it into the sea. He strikes and kicks her.
The Third Attack
As he returns to walk home, Kino is attacked in the darkness with a knife, and is knocked to the ground and searched. The pearl struck from his hand lies glinting in the moonlight, a short distance away. Juana copes with her pain, drags herself from the water, approaches Kino and finds the pearl on the ground. She considers to go back to the sea and finish the job. Juana sees a dead man on the shore. She understand a murder has been committed. She conceals the stranger's body in a bush and revives Kino. She informs Kino that he has killed a man and they ,must escape before daybreak. He agrees to flee but discovers his canoe has been destroyed. He is overcome with rage.
The House is set on fire
Dawn breaks and the huts begin to awaken. Kino hurries towards his house but the house is afire and Juana is fleeing towards him with the frightened baby. The fire attracts their neighbours and they assume that Kino, Juana and Coyotito are in the burning hut. Juan Tomas agreed to hide Kino and his family for a day until they can escape in darkness of the following night. Juana blames the pearl.
Before The Flight
Juan Tomas tells the neighbours that Kino and Juana have already fled to escape the evil fortune that seems to plague them. At nightfall, Kino and Juana take formal leave. There is emotional parting between the two brothers.
CHAPTER SIX
The Flight
Kino and Juana make their way out of the village and turn to the north. Kino becomes aware of the animal instinct growing stronger in himself which makes him cautious, wary and dangerous. Away from the town, they take the road and walk all night, conscious of evil and danger. They stopped at a clearing concealed from the road. Kino and Juana take turns to sleep, always alert and on guard. Evil is near. On surveying the road, he sees travellers coming, two on horseback and one on foot. Kino knows the skill of these men. They are professional hit men sent to track Kino like a hunted animal. He watches tensely as the hunters approach, examine the road and pass on. He knows they will return and search until they find the trail again. Kino is determined to flee to the mountain but he has to pass the desert. Kino tries to persuade Juana to hide with the baby and lead the trackers into the mountain. She refuses. They head for a cleft in the mountains. They find a small spring of fresh, clean cold water. He scans the distance and sees the trackers far away but not too far to catch up by evening. He find a shallow cave to put Juana and Coyotito and blazes a false trail up the side of the mountain.He hopes to return to the lowlands after the trackers following the false trail had passed the cave.
Night Falls
The trackers arrive at the stream at nightfall. They stop to rest and plan to stay till morning. Kino decides to attack the trackers. If killed, Juana will hide and escape to another town. Juana prays to ward off evil.
Kino Launches His Attack
Kino crawls down the mountain. He is quiet and careful. Near the trackers, he attacks the first one. A cry is heard. One attacker shoots at it. Kino leaps and kills him. The third man tries to escape but is shot dead. Juana's moaning screams are heard.
The Return to La Paz
Kino and Juana return, heavy-hearted, to
