KCSE SET BOOKS ESSAY QUESTIONS and ANSWERS

Enjoy free KCSE revision materials on imaginative compositions, essay questions and answers and comprehensive analysis (episodic approach) of the set books including Fathers of Nations by Paul B. Vitta, The Samaritan by John Lara, A Silent Song, An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro and Parliament of Owls by Adipo Sidang'. This blog is useful to Kenyan students preparing for KCSE; and their teachers.

Saturday 22 June 2019

30+ amazing the pearl kcse essay questions for candidates , follow @wafulawekati  .

      KCSE English paper 3  requires  mastery of content  and proper  interpretation of kcse essay questions  . The answers provided should exhibit a candidate's understanding of the question and ability to analyse and make proper judgement.    Learners should avoid  these common mistakes  in order to score desirable marks in their essay. 
    Before you attempt a few questions you should study  how to write amazing KCSE essays .    
    Tip:  Some of these sample essays may lack full textual illustrations and are simply meant to guide the learner on how to go about essay writing. Ensure you know the process of essay writing before you attempt writing the essays.        Always support every claim with sufficient  textual  backing while attempting to clearly highlight the embedded  moral value .
Here are some KCSE Revision essay questions on  The Pearl  for teachers and students of Literature;

THE PEARL SAMPLE ESSAY QUESTIONS

The pearl essay question , appearance can be deceptive. write an essay to validate this statement basing your argument on john steinbeck’s  the pearl . (20 marks),       things are not always as they seem. the outward appearance of someone or something may conceal their true nature or intentions. when kino finds a beautiful pearl he hopes to sell it and improve his family’s life but instead his old life is ruined even further.      first, we do not expect the priest to join the bandwagon of people trying to exploit kino for his wealth. priests ostensibly represent virtues. when he hears the news about kino’s pearl while walking in his garden he immediately thinks about necessary repairs in the church. he also thinks about the worth of the pearl. he cannot remember whether he married kino and juana in church and whether he baptized their son coyotito. he visits kino, something he hardly does. he claims that kino is named after a great father of the church. he also reminds him to give thanks for his newly found wealth. it is baffling that a clergy man would try to take advantage of a poor man. surely, appearance can be deceptive.      when the doctor gets wind of the news of kino’s pearl, he claims that kino is his client and that he is treating his child for a scorpion sting he comes to kino’s brushwood hut apparently to treat coyotito. however, he has ulterior motives. he warns kino about the effects of a scorpion sting. he gives the baby a white powder enclosed in a capsule of gelatine. this makes him very sick. he later “cures’ him with three drops of ammonia. the doctor deceives kino and the villagers that he came to treat the child but his real intention was to get the pearl for himself. he asks when kino could pay the bill hoping to get the pearl. he coerces kino to tell him where it is hidden, even offering to keep it safely for him.      it appears like there are many pearl buyers when in real sense there is only one he keeps many agents in several offices to create a semblance of competition. when kino finds the pearl he decides to sell it to improve his living standards. one of the dealers, the man behind the desk, appears benign and fatherly. he knows all the jokes. he is however a part of a conspiracy to cheat kino out of the true value of his pearl. after examining the pearl he offers a paltry 1000 pesos when kino wants 50,000 pesos. the other schemers play the same game. they pretend to be disinterested. one offers 500 pesos claiming he could sell it for 600 pesos. they are shocked when kino refuses to sell his pearl. the fatherly man quickly improves his deal to 1500 pesos but in vain. it appears like they are trying to offer kino the best price when in reality they are hell-bent on exploiting him.      lastly, the appearance of the pearl itself is deceptive. it appears beautiful but underneath the beauty is evil and destruction. its curve is perfect. it is as big as a seagull’s egg. when kino finds it he knew that this is the end of all his problems. he could not be more mistaken. he hopes to marry juana in church, buy a rifle and a harpoon, take coyotito to school and even purchase new clothes and shoes. none of this happens. juana and juan thomas warn kino that the pearl is evil. he beats juana when she tries to throw the pearl away. he strikes her with a clenched fist and kicks her in the side. his canoe is destroyed, his hut is burnt and his son coyotito is killed by people trying to steal the pearl. kino eventually throws the pearl back into the sea.      to sum up, it is indeed true to say that appearance may be deceptive since not all that glitters is gold., basing your argument on john steinbeck’s  the pearl,  write an essay to show how juana is the pillar of kino’s home. (20 marks) , juana is depicted as the stalwart of kino’s home.  she has the ability to make sound judgements  and offer practical solutions in the face of impending calamity. she helps to keep kino's strong desire for wealth in check and acts as the strength of the family both in calm days and during the shaky days after they found the pearl.  juana's ability to make swift judgement  is first seen when the child is stung by the scorpion. she takes several quick steps to save his life. first, she sucks the poison out of coyotito's body. she then rushes the child to the doctor to seek treatment when it became apparent that the doctor would not come to the brushwood houses where they lived. after praying and chanting ancient magic spells, she gathers brown seaweed and makes a poultice which she then applies to the child's shoulder to help reduce the pain. she manages to save the child's life since the poison eventually recedes from his body. indeed, she is the pillar of kino’s home. juana is wise enough to see the potentially harmful nature of the pearl. a thief tries to steal the pearl and kino fights him while trying to protect it. he bruises his forehead in the process. juana says that the pearl is evil and that they should get rid of it. kino is obstinate. he is blinded by his desires.  he refuses to heed to juana's warning. then, after they failed to sell the pearl, someone lurking outside kino's hut at night injures kino badly when he slashes him and leaves him with a deep cut running from ear to chin. after this attack , juana reiterates her earlier sentiments that the pearl is evil and that they ought to destroy it or throw it back into the sea before it destroys them together with their son. had kino listened to her, maybe, just maybe they would still have their hut and canoe intact and their son coyotito would still be alive. juana is surely the strength of kino’s family. moreover, she takes a bold step of trying to throw the pearl away. she had grown tired of kino's inaction. this plan fails. kino strikes her face with a clenched fist and kicks her on the side. juana is so considerate since she remains reasonably level-headed even after kino attacks her. there was no anger in her for kino. she collects the pearl and hands it back to kino after he is attacked. she tried to throw the pearl away in a desperate bid to save her family. she is content with the little they have unlike kino who is blinded by greed. this action makes us conclude that juana is indeed a reasonable person.   lastly, juana is also seen as a voice of reason when she sticks by kino throughout; appearing caring and protective. she takes care of the family by cooking for her husband and child. kino could never remember seeing her eyes closed when he awakened. she advises kino to leave the village after he killed a man. she offers to go with him to the north. when kino suggests that they split up so that he tries to mislead the trackers, she refuses and says that they stick together. she asks him to remove the white clothes as he readied himself to attack the trackers. after coyotito's death, she remains close to her husband when they return the village with their lifeless baby. she obviously puts in a lot of effort in trying to protect her family. she is indeed the pillar of kino’s family. .   to sum up, it is apparent that juana is definitely the pillar of strength that kino lies on.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});, all that glitters is not gold. write a composition to substantiate this claim, drawing your illustrations from john steinbeck’s  the pearl .  (20 marks),         appearance may be deceptive.  some people appear good at face value but may have hidden intentions. kino’s beautiful pearl appears like a promise of comfort and security and a poultice against illness but turns out to harbour evil, misfortune and death.     first, we do not expect the priest to join the bandwagon of people trying to exploit kino for his wealth. priests ostensibly represent virtues. when he hears the news about kino’s pearl while walking in his garden he immediately thinks about necessary repairs in the church. he also thinks about the worth of the pearl. he cannot remember whether he married kino and juana in church and whether he baptized their son coyotito. he visits kino, something he hardly does. he claims that kino is named after a great father of the church. he also reminds him to give thanks for his newly found wealth. it is baffling that a clergy man would try to take advantage of a poor man. surely, not all that glitters is gold.     when the doctor gets wind of the news of kino’s pearl, he claims that kino is his client and that he is treating his child for a scorpion sting he comes to kino’s brushwood hut apparently to treat coyotito. however, he has ulterior motives. he warns kino about the effects of a scorpion sting. he gives the baby a white powder enclosed in a capsule of gelatine. this makes him very sick. he later “cures’ him with three drops of ammonia. the doctor deceives kino and the villagers that he came to treat the child but his real intention was to get the pearl for himself. he asks when kino could pay the bill hoping to get the pearl. he coerces kino to tell him where it is hidden, even offering to keep it safely for him.     it appears like there are many pearl buyers when in real sense there is only one he keeps many agents in several offices to create a semblance of competition. when kino finds the pearl he decides to sell it to improve his living standards. one of the dealers, the man behind the desk, appears benign and fatherly. he knows all the jokes. he is however a part of a conspiracy to cheat kino out of the true value of his pearl. after examining the pearl he offers a paltry 1000 pesos when kino wants 50,000 pesos. the other schemers play the same game. they pretend to be disinterested. one offers 500 pesos claiming he could sell it for 600 pesos. they are shocked when kino refuses to sell his pearl. the fatherly man quickly improves his deal to 1500 pesos but in vain. it appears like they are trying to offer kino the best price when in reality they are hell-bent on exploiting him.    lastly, the appearance of the pearl itself is deceptive. it appears beautiful but underneath the beauty is evil and destruction. its curve is perfect. it is as big as a seagull’s egg. when kino finds it he knew that this is the end of all his problems. he could not be more mistaken. he hopes to marry juana in church, buy a rifle and a harpoon, take coyotito to school and even purchase new clothes and shoes. none of this happens. juana and juan thomas warn kino that the pearl is evil. he beats juana when she tries to throw the pearl away. he strikes her with a clenched fist and kicks her in the side. his canoe is destroyed, his hut is burnt and his son coyotito is killed by people trying to steal the pearl. kino eventually throws the pearl back into the sea.     to sum up, it is indeed true to say that not all that glitters is gold since appearance may be deceptive. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});, unchecked desire can change an individual. basing your illustrations on john steinbeck’s  the pearl,  write a composition to back up this statement. (20 marks) ,   in the pearl kino is poor but happy but when he finds a great fortune he becomes obsessed with being rich and this makes him sad, suspicious and irrational. this is because greed for wealth can change a person. before kino finds the pearl he is a caring, protective father and husband. he seems contended and happy despite living in poverty. he is satisfied with the simple lifestyle and the little they posses. when he finds the pearl, he has great dreams for his family. he hopes to marry his wife in church. he hopes to buy her new clothes including a new shawl, new skin and new shoes. when someone tries to steal the pearl and kino is hurt trying to protect it, juana suggests that they get rid of it. kino is adamant. he is blinded by desire for money. when she tries to throw it away, he strikes her badly. excessive desire turns kino into an abusive husband that he was not at first. desire for money turns kino into a heartless murderous man. kino lives the simple life of a fisherman like the other natives of la paz. when he finds the great pearl, he turns into “an animal”. he fights and kills a man on the path that tries to steal his pearl. having grown tired of kino’s inaction, juana decides to go and throw the pearl back into the sea. kino catches her and strikes her with a clenched fist and kicks her on the side. on his way back to the hut, he fights and kills a man forcing them to flee from their home. his obsession with changing their simple lifestyle and acquiring material possession dehumanizes him. the excessive ambition for riches makes kino irrational. kino seems like a wise family man. he provides for his family through fishing and pearl diving. he loves and protects his young family. when he finds the great pearl, he hopes to take his son coyotito to school so that he frees them from the bondage of ignorance. his preoccupation with this desire blinds him. he fails to see the danger such an ambition puts his family into. while fleeing to the north, he is pursued by three trackers, two on foot and one on a horse with a rifle. his son is eventually killed even when he manages to kill the three men. had kino been wise enough he would have gotten rid of the pearl as soon as he saw the red flags. he is blinded by wild desire for wealth. lastly, the doctor changes his mind about treating coyotito because of his desires. when coyotito is stung by a scorpion, the doctor refuses to treat the child. he has no time to treat “little indians” for insect bites because they never have any money. he sends them away claiming he was out attending to a serious case. when kino finds the great pearl the doctor hopes to get it so that his dreams of a “civilized” european lifestyle in paris could come to pass. he rushes to kino’s home pretending he was there to treat the child. he says kino is his client. he never goes to the brushwood huts until kino gets rich. he has no intention of treating the child. he is finally interested in kino because of his strong desire for money. in brief, it is indeed true to say that money and desire can change an individual.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});, the villagers in la paz are highly superstitious. basing your answer on kino and juana in john steinbeck’s  the pearl , write an essay to validate this statement. (20 marks) , the villagers in la paz are ignorant and thus tend to have strong beliefs based on fear of the unknown. juana has deep-seated faith in magic spells and luck. she believes that kino’s pearl is evil. through the prayers, incantations and ancient magic spells juana is portrayed as a superstitious individual. she mutters an ancient magic incantation when coyotito is in danger of being stung by a scorpion. she also mutters a hail mary. in the boat she does not pray directly for the recovery of the baby. she prays that they find a pearl. she attempts to force from the gods the luck she and kino need to protect coyotito. (ancient magic p 21, 33, 35) kino’s superstition is clear when he is reluctant to open the large shell first since he doesn’t want to show the gods or god that he wants the pearl so much. kino is afraid that gods will take revenge against him if he finds success.  gods do not love men’s plans. while fleeing the village, when kino looks at the pearl he only sees tragedies that have befallen the family. he begins to see that the pearl is cursed but he still cannot part with it.  (p 36,37.46, 98) juan tomas and juana believe that the pearl is evil. juan tomas tells kino that there is a devil in the pearl. he advises kino to get rid of it by selling it and buying peace for himself. juana says that the pearl is like a sin. he warns kino that it will destroy all of them if they don’t throw it away. kino ignores her warning and keeps the pearl. she tries to throw away the evil pearl but kino catches and beats her further proving her fears that the pearl is cursed. it has made kino attack and harm his loving wife. (p 90) the villagers in la paz mainly survive on pearl fishing and they believe that the pearls are accidents and finding one is luck, a pat on the back by god or the gods or both. they believe in luck so much that when juana senses kino’s excitement when he finds the pearl she pretends to look away because it is not good to want a thing too much. it sometimes drives the luck away. (p 34, 36)  in brief, the behavior of most people in la paz is based on faith and luck as a result of ignorance, fear and false conceptions. .

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Juana and Juan Tomas are depicted as the voices of reason in La Paz. Write a composition to substantiate this claim, drawing your illustrations from John Steinbeck’s  The Pearl.  (20 Marks)

In the pearl by john steinbeck juana and juan tomas are individuals who try to influence kino to act sensibly. they try to use practical and logical reasons to convince kino to get rid of the pearl that brings misfortunes to their family.  they are therefore voices of reason.  when coyotito is stung by a scorpion, juana is seen as the voice of reason when she suggests that they go to the doctor, which is the most sensible thing to do. this is after she sucks the poison out of coyotito’s body and spits. this shows quick, practical thinking on her part. when the doctor refuses to treat the baby, she accompanies kino when he goes out pearl fishing. she prays that they may find a pearl with which to hire the doctor to cure the baby-she does not pray directly for his recovery. this shows that juana is a reasonable woman. juana tries to influence kino to do the most sensible thing-throwing the pearl away. when a thief tries to steal the pearl and kino bruises his forehead in a bid to protect it, she tells kino that the pearl is like a sin and will destroy them because it has brought evil. she advises him to throw it away. kino fails to heed this advice since he plans to sell the pearl. juana is reasonable since she advises him to throw it away again when he is attacked and slashed from ear to chin. she urges him to destroy it before it destroys them. this is after she tries to stop from confronting his assailant. kino does not comply claiming he is a man but juana cautions him sensibly that a man can be killed. the pearl turns out to be destructive since because of it kino loses his boat, his hut and his son coyotito. juana is undoubtedly a voice of reason. juan tomas, kino’s elder brother, is a reasonable and far-sighted man. he advises kino to be careful that the pearl buyers do not cheat him. since he is the elder, kino looks to him for wisdom. he says he is afraid for kino since he has defied not only the pearl buyers, but the whole structure of life. he cautions kino about going to the capital where he has no friends or family. juan tomas is indeed a reasonable man. throughout the novel, juan tomas gives his younger brother good meaningful pieces of advice. when kino kills a man, juan tomas tells him that there is a devil in his pearl. he advises him to sell it and buy peace for himself. he offers to protect kino after his hut is burnt and goes out to divert the neighbours’ suspicion. he borrows some supplies like salt, food, and a knife to help kino on his journey north. wisely, he advises kino to avoid the shore since there is a party to search the shore. surely, he is a voice of reason. in conclusion, juana and juan tomas are indeed the voices of reason owing to their invaluable pieces of advice they offer kino. ,   write an essay to show how poverty is dehumanizing basing your illustrations on john steinbeck's  the pearl  (20 marks)    lack of money and possessions can make one feel or appear somehow less human. poverty deprives people of human qualities such as feelings for other people. kino and others in la paz endure such suffering because they are poor and his efforts to escape the shackles of poverty prove futile. first, as a result of poverty kino’s family and their neighbours live in semi permanent shacks that are hardly good enough for humans. kino, juana and coyotito live in a brushwood hut in the impoverished neighbourhood of la paz. kino and juana sleep on a mat, whereas coyotito sleeps in a hanging box. the shelter is barely any good for a baby as he is stung by a scorpion. a thief easily sneaks into the house and kino bruises his forehead trying to fight him. the hut is razed to the ground in a matter of minutes as thieves look for the pearl. what miserable living conditions indeed poverty is dehumanizing. apart from that, kino can barely afford some basic needs and simple luxuries of life. he only dreams of buying a rifle (winchester carbine) and a harpoon after finding a great pearl. he also hopes to marry juana in church. kino sees juana and coyotito and himself kneeling at the high altar getting married now that he could finally pay. he hopes to purchase new clothes-blue sailors’ suit from the us and a yachting cap for coyotito for example. he also plans to pay for coyotito’s education. kino and his family have lived a life of oppression, misery and ignorance as a result of poverty and that is why he has dreams of unshackling his family from the bondage of poverty and to give them a life fit for a human being.   also, poverty turns people into heartless brutes. when kino finds the pearl, everyone becomes interested in him with the hope of reaping some benefits. people would do anything to get the pearl. kino on the other hand is willing to do anything to protect it. even after seeing the danger and the evil surrounding the pearl he still clings onto it. he strikes juana with a clenched fist and kicks her in the side when she tries to throw it away. he kills a man on the path and three trackers who were pursuing him. when someone destroys his bought, kino turns into an animal because the canoe is all he has. he commits all these atrocities because poverty has stripped him of qualities like reason and compassion. poverty is surely dehumanizing. kino cannot access proper medical care for his son after he is stung by a scorpion because he is poor. when coyotito is stung by a scorpion, kino and juana rush him to the european doctor. the doctor contemptuously remarks that the “little indians” never have any money. kino can only offer eight misshapen seed pearls that look ugly and grey like ulcers. he dismisses claiming he was out handling a more serious case-more serious than curing insect bites for “little indians”. he says he is not a veterinary doctor. kino is so angry that he strikes the doctor’s gate with his bare knuckle. the european doctor despises kino because he is poor. in conclusion, it is true to say that poverty is dehumanizing.  ,     , "some individuals are quick to make sound decisions during challenging times. basing your illustrations on juana in john steinbeck's  the pearl ; write an essay to validate this assertion."  in a world full of irrational and impulsive people, it's really delightful to have some individuals who have the ability to make sound judgments and offer practical solutions in the face of impending calamity. juana is one such person. she helps to keep kino's wild desire for wealth in check and acts as the pillar of the family both in calm days and during the tumultuous days after they found the pearl.  juana's ability to make swift judgment is first seen when the child is stung by the scorpion. she takes several quick steps to save his life. first, she sucks the poison out of coyotito's body. she then rushes the child to the doctor to seek treatment when it became apparent that the doctor would not come to the brushwood houses where they lived. after praying and chanting ancient magic spells, she gathers brown seaweed and makes a poultice which she then applies to the child's shoulder to help reduce the pain. she manages to save the child's life since the poison eventually recedes from his body. indeed, she is a voice of reason.  juana is wise enough to see the potentially harmful nature of the pearl. a thief tries to steal the pearl and kino fights him while trying to protect it. he bruises his forehead in the process. juana says that the pearl is evil and that they should get rid of it. kino is obstinate. he is blinded by his desires.  he refuses to heed to juana's warning. then, after they failed to sell the pearl, someone lurking outside kino's hut at night injures kino badly when he slashes him and leaves him with a deep cut running from ear to chin. after this attack , juana reiterates her earlier sentiments that the pearl is evil and that they ought to destroy it or throw it back into the sea before it destroys them together with their son. had kino listened to her, maybe, just maybe they would still have their hut and canoe intact and their son coyotito would still be alive. juana is surely rational.  moreover, she takes a bold step of trying to throw the pearl away. she had grown tired of kino's inaction. this plan fails. kino strikes her face with a clenched fist and kicks her on the side. juana is so considerate since she remains reasonably level-headed even after kino attacks her. there was no anger in her for kino. she collects the pearl and hands it back to kino after he is attacked. she tried to throw the pearl away in a desperate bid to save her family. she is content with the little they have unlike kino who is blinded by greed. this action makes us conclude that juana is indeed a reasonable person.   lastly, juana is also seen as a voice of reason when she sticks by kino throughout; appearing caring and protective. she takes care of the family by cooking for her husband and child. kino could never remember seeing her eyes closed when he awakened. she advises kino to leave the village after he killed a man. she offers to go with him to the north. when kino suggests that they split up so that he tries to mislead the trackers, she refuses and says that they stick together. she asks him to remove the white clothes as he readied himself to attack the trackers. after coyotito's death, she remains close to her husband when they return the village with their lifeless baby. she obviously puts in a lot of effort in trying to protect her family. she is indeed a voice of reason.   in conclusion, it is apparent that juana is without a doubt a voice of reason., "when an individual is over ambitious, he suffers” write an essay to validate this statement using kino in john steinbeck's the pearl .  (20 marks), when one wants something so much, the end result is usually pain, misery or suffering.  when kino finds the pearl, he becomes greedy for material possession (rifle, harpoon, shoes, and clothes) and a change of lifestyle. this excessive desire causes pain to him and his family. eventually, he loses his property and his child. due to greed, kino loses his son coyotito. when kino finds the pearl his desire to change his life blinds him. he hopes to take coyotito to school. he says that his son will go to school and learn writing. that he will know and they will know through him. they will be free. even when he suffers attacks and physical pain because of the pearl his ambition clouds his reasoning.  he refuses to let go off the pearl. he flees the village with juana and coyotito with a view to protect and sell his pearl, hoping to use the funds to educate his son. coyotito is killed by one of the 3 trackers at the mountains as they were fleeing to the north. kino suffers the pain of losing his only son. kino loses his brushwood hut and canoe as a result of his excessive ambition. when he finds the pearl, everybody else is interested in it. the priest, the shopkeepers, the doctor, the beggars, and the dealers all want a share of his newly found wealth. someone tries to steal the pearl.  kino is injured trying to protect it. kino is attacked twice because of the pearl. his hut is set ablaze after intruders ransack it looking for the pearl. he wants to go and sell the pearl in the capital after failing to secure a deal with the local dealers. to stop him someone punches a hole in his canoe. this hurts kino and turns him into an animal. he inherited it from his father and grandfather and treasured it a lot as a fisherman. kino loses is valuables as a result of too much ambition. kino suffers physical pain because of the pearl. kino suffers attack after attack. he is determined to get his hands on new material possession. he suffers in the process. when someone tries to steal his pearl, he injures his forehead while trying to protect it. it his sole hope of new wealth. the night they came from the dealers, kino is attacked outside his hut and slashed. there is a deep cut on his cheek from his ear to his chin. juana pleads with him to get rid of the evil pearl but he refuses since is so ambitious to give coyotito education and to acquire wealth.  he is attacked again after striking juana. he manages to kill the man but is left with injuries. too much ambition causes pain. kino lives a life of fear and suspicion after he finds the pearl. although it causes him to problems he does not want to lose it. this is because he is overambitious. he wants to buy a winchester carbine rifle, a new iron harpoon, and white clothes for himself, a blue suit for coyotito, and shoes. juana asks who he fears. he says that he fears everybody. he lives in constant fear of attacks and intruders since people want to steal his pearl. he is eventually forced to flee from la paz a place he calls home.   kino would do anything to protect his pearl and acquire wealth. juana suffers this violent nature when she tries to throw the pearl away. he strikes juana in the face with a clenched fist. she falls among the boulders. he then kicks her in the side. this destroys their peaceful co-existence as a poor but happy (contended) family. he kills the man who attacked him on the path. he kills the three trackers who were pursuing him because of the pearl. he could not let them steal his pearl because he has big dreams. over ambition causes kino to become a dangerous ‘animal’ who wrecks his family and structure of life. to sum up, greed/ excessive ambition causes pain/misery/suffering. , “family members always want the best for us”. write an essay to validate this claim basing your illustrations from john steinbeck’s  the pearl . (20 marks) , in the face of adversity, our relations are always there for us. for instance juana kino’s wife does everything in her power to protect her husband kino and their child coyotito. she risks her life by sucking the scorpion’s poison out of the child’s shoulder for she cares for her son coyotito. first, juana cares for her son coyotito. when he is stung by the scorpion, she does everything within her means to save his life. first, she sucks the poison out and spits and sucks again. she suggests that they go to see the doctor. she also sticks with kino while he was pearl finishing and prays that they find a pearl with which they can hire the doctor to treat their son coyotito. meanwhile she gathers brown seaweed and makes flat damp poultice which uses as a remedy for coyotito’s pain. her quick thinking saves coyotito from the adverse effect of the scorpion sting; a withered leg, a crumpled back or a blind eye. surely, family members are always there for us. kino is a simple family man who loves and strives to protect his family. kino finds solace and contentment in the song of the family. he knows the value of family since he inherited his only prized possession, a canoe, from his father and grandfather. he cannot take a chance that the doctor is lying to him about coyotito’s health since he doesn’t want his child to suffer. when he gets the pearl kino only thinks of how to improve his family; clothes for juana and coyotito, education for coyotito and a marrying juana in church. although the pearl causes pain, kino only clings on it because he wants the best for his family. juan tomas cares for and values his brother kino. he shows up when coyotito is stung and accompanies kino to the doctor. he advises kino to be careful so that the dealers don’t take advantage of him. he also accompanies him to the dealers. when kino kills a man, he offers him and his family shelter in his hut and tries to divert the attention of the neighbours and gathers supplies for the journey; a bag of beans, a gourd of rice, dried pepper, salt, a knife and an axe. although he doesn’t manage to convince kino to get rid of the evil pearl, he does all he can to help him escape it. juana cares for her husband kino and is always there for him. she wakes up early to prepare breakfast for her family. she is always on kino’s side and acts like his chief advisor. she sees the potentially harmful nature of the pearl and asks kino to get rid of it. she gets tired of kino’s inaction and tries to throw the pearl away. even after kino attacks her she has no anger for him in her. she advises kino to escape the village after he kills a man and sticks with him through thick  and thin as they return to the village with their dead son. she is on his side when he flings the pearl back into the sea. in conclusion, it is indeed true to say that family members are always there for us. surely blood is thicker than water. , write an essay to show how a steadfast spirit makes one the pillar of strength of the family, using juana in the pearl .  juana is a dependable and devoted member of kino's family. her steadfast loyalty makes her a tower of strength for kino and the son coyotito. she is subservient but surprisingly judicious and resolute and these endearing qualities make her the anchor of the family. when coyotito is stung by a scorpion juana, swings into action and saves his life. first, she sucks the poison from the reddened puncture and spits and sucks again while the baby screams in pain. the baby’s screams attract the neighbours. she sucks until the hole enlarges and its edges whiten. she is aware that the poison could easily kill the baby. the sucking helps to relieve coyotito's pain and the screams turn into moans. later on she collects some brown seaweed and makes a flat damp poultice and applies it to coyotito's shoulder. this was a good cure and could be better than the doctors remedy. the symptoms of the scorpion sting like swelling, fever, tightened throat and cramps are worrying but luckily cramps do not come to coyotito. finally the poison recedes from coyotito’s body and the swelling goes out of his shoulder. juana's unwavering empirical actions save her son’s life. juana surprises kino when she demands that they go to the doctor. he had wondered often at the iron in his patient fragile wife. she is respectful and cheerful but could stand fatigue and hunger better than kino himself. he is surprised when she demands for the doctor. everyone knows that the doctor does not come to the cluster of brush houses. he prefers prefer treating the rich who live in stone and plaster houses in town. to want him is wonderful, but to get him would be remarkable. the people in the yard, those at the door and kino tell juana that the doctor won’t come. she uncompromisingly demands that they go to him. she covers the baby to protect him from light and together with kino they lead the procession to the doctor's house. she had sucked the poison out but she is still worried because coyotito is his first baby-almost everything that was in her world. when the doctor turns them down and everyone else leaves she stays at his gate with kino for a long time. juana's determination makes the music of his family jovial in kino's head with a steely tone. when a thief a thief tries to steal kino’s pearl while he sleeps, he hurts his head while fighting the intruder. he could feel warm blood down his forehead. juana uses her shawl to swab the blood from his bruised forehead. she astutely warns kino that the pearl is evil. she equates it to a sin that will destroy them. she asks kino to throw it away, break it between stones, bury it or throw it back to the sea. kino is adamant because he wants his son to go to school but juana knows that it would destroy even their son. when kino fails to sell the pearl juana is worried. she knows the only help she can offer is being near him and being silent. kino is attacked a second time and is slashed from his ear to chin. she wipes his face and offers him a pulque to drink and reiterates that the pearl is evil and will destroy the family. kino foolishly asserts that he is a man. juana prudently tells kino that a man can be killed. juana is clearly determined to save her family but kino is blinded by limitless desire. juana is indeed an unrelenting woman. her steadfast spirit is evident when she grows tired of kino’s obstinate inaction. she decides to secretly throw the pearl herself. this is because the pearl has caused fear and brought enemies who were inflicting physical and emotional agony to her family. kino catches her just in time and hits her on the face with a clenched fist. he kicks her on the side when she falls among the boulders. he hisses at her like a snake but she stares at him with wide unfrightened eyes. even after he attacks her she remains rational. there’s no anger in her for kino. her quality of woman would cut through kino’s manness and save them.  juana resolutely fights to protect her family. juana advises kino to flee from la paz after he kills a man. she fights bitterly to rescue the old peace but she is wise enough to know that it’s futile now. kino says did it in self defence but she tells him that no one would buy his account. he concedes. they head north together. she sticks by his side to the bitter end. the trek is tedious but juana's steadfastness gives kino strength. juana’s mouth is swollen where kino hit her; her ankles are cut and scratched by stones and brushes but she sits unflinchingly like a sentinel. she dissuades kino from splitting up with them when he suggests they go to loreto or santa rosalia and when he offers to let the trackers take him. she says the trackers would still kill them. kino yields to her unwavering goading. she also advises him to remove the white clothes when he wills to attack the trackers. after coyotito is killed, she walks with kino walking side to side. to sum up, juana is surely the pillar of strength in kino’s family. she unrelentingly tries to control kino’s excessive desire that eventually proves destructive when he does not heed her sagacious. read more on juana as a voice of reason  in the pearl., “the greedy indulge in vices that cause suffering to the victims around them.” using illustrations from steinbeck’s the pearl, write an essay in support of this statement. people with unchecked material desires often commit bad deeds that cause pain and misery to those around them. some characters such as kino and the doctor in john steinbeck’s the pearl are greed and thus cause suffering around them as my essay illustrates. the doctor refuses to cure coyotito but he gets greedy when kino finds the pearl of the world and now wants to attend to coyotito. the doctor is a man of fine tastes and he thinks of the pleasures he experienced while in france. when coyotito is stung, he is rushed to the doctor who after seeing the ugly valueless pearls from kino asks the servant to dismiss them. when he hears of kino’s new pearl he rethinks of paris and imagines how he can benefit. he leaves the old woman he is attending to as he now wants to attend to coyotito. he first poisons the already healing coyotito leaving him to suffer as his face was flushed, throat was working, and drooled saliva and the spasm of the stomach muscles began. he later comes back to treat coyotito and immediately asks for payment as he knows about the pearl. he makes coyotito to suffer all because he was greedy for the pearl and its proceeds. kino’s greed for the pearl is clear as he hopes to buy a harpoon, rifle, new clothes, take coyotito to school and have a church wedding as soon as he sells the pearl. as he is possession of the pearl, mishaps start happening to him. first, coyotito is poisoned by the doctor, then there is an attempted robbery and he is also attacked outside his hut. juana notices these events and advises  kino to do away with the pearl by crushing it between two stones or throwing it back to the sea or forget it altogether. her pleas fall on deaf ears as kino blatantly refuses to act on her advice. juana decides to steal the pearl and toss it back to the sea herself and this makes her suffer as a result of kino’s greed. kino follows her to the sea and physically assaults her, he struck her face and as she was on the bank, he kicked her side leaving her aching. because of kino’s greed, juana suffers as he beats her up and leaves her bruised. the attackers also were greedy for the pearl and end up hurting kino in the process. from the onset of the pearl’s discovery, the neighbors also coveted kino’s find. kino’s pearl went into the needs, the lust, the speculations and the hungers of everyone and he became curiously every man’s enemy. it was only a matter of time and they would start to want the pearl for themselves. after the doctor’s visit, there is an attempted robbery, the second comes on the day he failed to sell the pearl when he is attacked outside his hut and had a bleeding scalp and a deep cut on his chin. he is also ambushed on the night he beats up juana and greedy fingers ransacked him for the pearl and here kino commits his first murder. besides the physical harm, kino’s hut is burned down and his canoe punctured to hinder his movement. greed for the pearl turns his neighbor’s vicious and they make kino suffer as they also wanted the pearl to themselves. lastly, the trackers kill little coyotito as they also wanted the pearl for themselves. as kino was heading to the capital, three men follow him through the terrain for days while in pursuit of the pearl. they do the assignment keenly as they did not want kino to get away with the pearl. kino tells juana that even if they were to find the pearl with them, they would still kill them and coyotito too. the trackers force kino and juana to hide in a cave and endure rough terrain in a bid to shake them off. while in their hideout, coyotito let out a cry and the trackers assume that the cry is from a coyote and the one with a gun shot towards the sound and thus killing coyotito. kino ends up killing the three men but the damage had been done already, the life of his dear son had been lost. as a result of kino’s greed, coyotito is killed and this proves his intentions futile as they throw the pearl back to the sea. in conclusion, greed is a vice that if unchecked can lead to pain and even death.  .

Poverty causes suffering. Making reference to Kino in The Pearl by John Steinbeck, write an essay to qualify this assertion .

Kino’s misery is as a result of his lack of money. Being poor is synonymous with extreme suffering. In a bid to escape poverty, his situation is further compounded. Kino and his family members suffer because of their destitution.

First, the doctor refuses to treat Coyotito, Kino’s son, because of his penury. When a scorpion stings Coyotito , Juana suggests that they go to get the doctor. Kino, the people in the yard and the people in the door tell her that the doctor will not come. He prefers taking care of the rich people who live in stone and plaster houses - not poor people like Kino and his family. There is a wide gap between the rich and the poor of La Paz. While Kino lived a destitute life in the cluster of brush houses, the rich lived in the city of stone and plaster, with harsh outer walls and cool inner gardens. They keep caged birds and enjoy the splash of cooling water against the flagstones. The beggars conclude that Kino and Juana are poor when they see her old blue skirt, tears in her shawl and her green ribbon and they read the age of Kino’s blanket in the thousand washings of his clothes. At the doctors big gate, they are greeted by the aroma of good bacon. The doctor curtly refuses to attend to his baby since they never have any money. Kino has eight misshapen seed pearls, as ugly and grey as little ulcers, and they are flat and valueless. The doctor says he is not a veterinary to cure insect bites for "little Indians". Kino is publicly shamed. He strikes the doctor’s gate and splits his knuckles. Surely, poverty is compounded by misery.

Secondly, Kino suffers when his canoe, the only thing of value he owns in the world, is destroyed. A canoe is once property and a source of food. It is a bulwark against starvation since a man with a boat could provide for his family. In a desperate bid to escape poverty, Kino decides that he will perhaps sell his pearl at the capital. He is utterly shocked to find a great hole knocked at the bottom of his canoe. He is gripped by a searing rage. This was the canoe of his grandfather. He had plastered it over and over using a secret method he learned from his father. A splintered hole was broken in it. Kino considers the killing of a boat more evil than the killing of a man. A wounded boat does not heal, cannot have sons and cannot protect itself. Kino feels sorrow and rage which tighten him beyond breaking. He becomes an animal that is ready to hide and attack, living only to protect his family. Kino’s pain arises from the fact that he is poor and it is inconceivable that the only valuable thing he owns is destroyed. This is evil beyond thinking. Indeed, poverty brings misery.

Kino is attacked while trying to protect the pearl which is supposed to be his sole silver bullet out of poverty. When he gets the pearl, he says that Coyotito would go to school. He can picture him sitting at a little desk in school, just as he had once seen through an open door. Since he is poor, he cannot afford to take his son to school until he sells the pearl. Education would make them free since they will know or be enlightened through him. His brain burns during his sleep. He dreams that Coyotito could read. When someone sneaks into their house to try and steal his pearl Kino is gripped with wild fear and rage. While trying to fight the intruder, Kino crashes his head and it explodes with pain. He feels warm blood running down his forehead. He is terrified. Juana swabs the blood from Kino’s bruised forehead using a wet head shawl. Kino’s eyes and voice are hard and cold when he speaks. Juana’s tension boils up to the surface and she cries that the pearl is evil – a sin that will destroy them. She suggests that Kino throws it away, breaks it between stones or buries it and forgets the place. She desperately urges Kino to throw it back to the seas lest it destroys them. She is frightened when she says it will destroy even their son. Kino insist that their son must go to school and break them out of the pot of poverty that holds them in. Kino suffers in a bid to escape poverty.

In his bid to escape and give his family a better life, Kino and Juana endure a difficult journey to the north. Kino had killed a man who tried to rob him of his pearl. They had to run. As they escape at night to avoid being caught, he is wary and cautious that they may be attacked by some animal. They walk all night. The sun is hot and the air is dry and hot. Nevertheless, Kino is determined to acquire a rifle, get married in a great church and take his son to school. When he realises that they are being pursued by the trackers, he panics and becomes hopeless and helpless. The journey also takes a toll on them. Juana gives the child water and he greedily sucks at it. Her ankles are cut and scratched by the stone and brush. Her face is tired while Kino’s lips are cracked. They struggle wearily up the slope and are utterly weary when they get to the pool. The baby is weary and petulant and cries softly. Kino drinks thirstily and long after the harrowing trek. That notwithstanding, Kino pays the biggest price when his son Coyotito is shot dead by a stray bullet. They returned to La Paz, utterly fatigued. They walk side by side, not in a file like before. Juana is as remote and as removed as heaven. Kino carries fear with him. They seem removed from human experience. They had gone through the pain and come out on the other side. They walk through the city as if it were not there, staring straight ahead. Kino and Juana move jerkily, like wooden dolls, carrying black pillars of fear with them. Kino feels immune and terrible. This was the pain of losing their son Coyotito, while trying to escape poverty. Surely poverty results in agony.

In conclusion, it is clear that lack of money is synonymous with unending misery. 

THE PEARL ESSAY QUESTION

Write a composition based on John Steinbeck's The Pearl to show how deceitful people take advantage of ignorance to cheat others.

Lack of knowledge is dangerous. Unprincipled individuals prey on ignorant people. Characters like the doctor and the priest in the pearl use their guile to cheat Kino who is unenlightened. 

Kino is cheated by the crafty pearl dealers since he does not know the true value of the pearl. Juan Tomas, Kino’s brother, cautions him to be careful lest the dealers cheat him. Kino admits that they do not know how much the pearls cost in other places and are thus ignorant of fair prices for their pearls (pg 67). When Kino finds the great pearl, he instinctively knows that it is valuable. His pearl is the greatest pearl in the world since it is as perfect as the moon, as large as a seagull's egg, and its shape is perfect (pg 37). The scheming pearl dealers collude to cheat Kino out of the true value of his pearl. The best and happiest pearl dealer is the one who buys for the lowest prices. Kino hopes to take his son to school, in a bid to enlighten his family and free himself from bondage of ignorance (pg 46) He values his pearl at 50, 000 pesos. The stout man offers to give him 1000 pesos taking advantage of his ignorance. He says the pearl is too large and clumsy. It is fool's gold and only a museum would take it. Kino cries that it is a pearl of great value. The greatest pearl in the world since no one has ever seen such a pearl. Kino’s face grows dark and dangerous since he feels cheated. The first dealer calls it a monstrosity, the second one says it is soft and chalky and the third one offers 500 pesos. Feeling cheated and helpless, Kino decides to try and sell it at the capital instead. That evening, Kino feels a lethargy and a little gray hopelessness. The dealers take advantage of Kino’s incomprehension to try and cheat him.

Secondly, the insincere doctor takes advantage of Kino’s ignorance to poison Coyotito in an effort to cheat Kino and get a fortune from the pearl. Kino hates the doctor and his race because of years of subjugation. When the doctor visits him, Kino informs him that the baby is nearly well now. The doctor plays on Kino's ignorance and tries to fool him on the supposed curious effect of the scorpion sting. After apparent improvement, the doctor informs Kino in a liquid tone, Coyotito could potentially suffer a withered leg, a blind eye or a crumpled back. Since Kino’s race loves and trusts tools of any craft, the doctor ensures that the guileless fellow can see his small black bag (pg 50). The doctor claims to know all about the scorpion sting and it’s cure. Kino on the other hand is trapped because of his certain ignorance. He cannot take a chance with Coyotito’s life. Kino knows that he will remain ignorant until they are enlightened and literate to comprehend what is in the books. The cunning doctor informs him that the poison had gone inside and would strike soon. He shows Kino Coyotito’s eyelid which is blue and since Kino lacks knowledge, the trap is set. The doctor poisons Coyotito using a white powder that is enclosed in a capsule of gelatin. The baby becomes terribly sick. The doctor returns after an hour to “treat” him. All along, his focus is on the pearl. He asks about the payment and when Kino mentions the pearl, he act surprised but offers to keep it for him lest it's stolen. Although Kino is wary of the doctor’s ulterior motive, the doctor manages to cheat him because of his ignorance.

The priest also exploits Kino’s ignorance to try and benefit from his newfound fortune. The Father considers Kino and his people children and treats them like children. He tells Kino that he is named after a great man and a great father of the church. Exploiting his lack of knowledge, the conniving priest makes this sound like a benediction - utterance of blessing. He adds that Kino’s namesake tamed the desert and sweetened the minds of his people. And to remove any iota of doubt from Kino's dubious but naïve mind, he cleverly adds that it is in the books. He knows that Kino is illiterate and cannot double check to ascertain whether these words are true. Kino also knows that he is ignorant. He hopes that someday Coyotito would know what things were in the books and what things were not. Before long, the cunning clergyman reveals his true purpose of the visit when he asks about Kino’s great fortune. He gasps a little when he sees the size and beauty of the pearl. He then reminds Kino and Juana to give thanks for their newfound fortune. His true intention is to try and benefit from Kino's pearl. He wonders what the pearl is worth, he thinks about repairs necessary to the church, and wonders whether he baptized Coyotito or married Kino for that matter. He also makes a sermon year in year out to discourage pearl fishers from pooling the pearls and selling them at the capital. Playing on their ignorance, he claims that God punishes any soldier who leaves their station. In reality, he only hopes to benefit from the pearls. Surely, ignorance allows people to manipulate us.

Lastly, the villagers feel that the pearl dealers cheat them because of their ignorance. The dealers fight for the lowest prices a fisherman could stand. The calculating men once lost when a despairing fisherman gave the pearls to the church. Taking advantage of the villagers' naïveté on the intricacies of pearl business, one buyer keeps many agents in several officers to create a semblance of competition. This is to avoid the extravagance of bidding against each other. The news of Kino’s pearl makes their eyes to squint and their fingers to burn at the prospect of cheating him and acquiring capital for themselves. The villagers don’t know that there is only one buyer with many hands. They do not know that the pearl buyers were not individuals competing against each other. Discussing about Kino's ordeal at the dealers' offices over a meal of corn-cakes and beans that evening, the neighbors admit their lack of comprehension. They know that the dealers know more about the value of the pearl than they. They don’t know that the dealers discussed beforehand. They foolishly think that all the three knew that the pearl is valueless. But if they had discussed, the villagers have been cheated all their lives. Kino tells Juan Tomas that the dealers are cheats and his brother concurs. He says that they are cheated right from birth to the overcharge on their coffins. Indeed, crafty people exploit lack of knowledge to fool others.

In conclusion, the assertion that deceitful people take advantage of people’s ignorance to deceive them is true. Kino and his people are disadvantaged because of their incomprehension versus the enlightened people’s knowledge .

MORE PRACTICE QUESTIONS ON THE PEARL

THE PEARL ESSAY QUESTION  "For it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more." Using clear illustrations from John Steinbeck’s  The Pearl , write an essay to validate this claim. (20 marks)      THE PEARL ESSAY QUESTION  Fate is a force beyond our control. Write an essay to validate this statement basing your argument on John Steinbeck’s  The Pearl . (20 Marks) THE PEARL ESSAY QUESTION  "It is not good to want a thing too much. It sometimes drives the luck away." How true in this in relation to  The Pearl  by John Steinbeck? (20 marks)     THE PEARL ESSAY QUESTION  Too much ambition leads to frustration. Write a composition to validate this statement with illustrations from the  The Pearl.  (20 Marks)  THE PEARL ESSAY QUESTION 

Too much ambition is often accompanied by misery. Write a composition to substantiate this claim, drawing your illustrations from John Steinbeck’s  The Pearl.  (20 Marks)

Click here for essays on Inheritance ,  A Doll's House ,  Memories we Lost , A Silent Song   and Blossoms of the Savannah . 

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218 comments:.

essay questions about the pearl

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essay questions about the pearl

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i got a question tho in the first essay would you mind elaborating the point on the pearl buyers?? how do they seem to be something they are not??

Thanks for the feedback. Read the following page 42, 43, 64, 67, 69. There are many dealers but only one buyer. Creates a semblance of competition. They cheat Kino and other ignorant brush wood house dwellers. They appear friendly but are scheming.

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You reason just as our teachers do. Mr Isaiah Opalinyang' and Madam Nancy Disiye of St Teresa of Calcutta Busia Township secondary school... I adore you

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Thanks⛪⛪

Thanks. Your essays helped me a lot.

i have a question

Please ask.

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Thank you so much sir for this contents,may God bless you ,continue in the same spirit

Thank you for the feedback.

Keep it up sir

In times of crisis men tend to be guided by emotions while women remain realistic write an essay supporting this observation basing your illustrations on John steinbeck's text need help plz

I have like the essay becz it has helped me in understanding of the pearl thanks

Thanks for the comment.

I have like the essay because I understood the pearl well.can I ask...Who do you blame for Kino’s demise?

Thanks for the feedback. I think you mean Coyotito's demise. We blame Kino for his imprudence, greed, obstinacy and failure to heed wise counsel/advise. The big question is, what moral do we learn from this?

Excellent work

You're welcome

Thanks mwalimu for this tremendous effort on making us to tackle English pp 3 very easily.

Thanks mwalimu for this tremendous effort for making English pp 3 to seem easy to be tackle by all learners across the countries. God bless you.

Nani kama Wekati 💪🏿 Humbled and Grateful.

You are welcome.

It's really Great help...sir keep up sir may you excel...tooo more life 😉😘

I appreciate that.

Thank sir , iam preparing for my kcse national examination 2021 and this essays will help me to face the exam

Is embodiment of reason the same as voice of reason

Is embodiment of reason the same as voice of reason?

A voice of reason is a person who gives sound/meaningful advice or wise counsel. Embodiment/ paragon/ epitome mean the perfect example of something.

Good work,has really helped thanks wekati

Asante sana.

Thanks Wekati really helped

Very good Essies.b Blessed

Hello teacher am a candidate and really appreciated your proven competence in literature.How could I download your work or get an offline piece because I've tried screenshotting but it's quite cumbersome?Will be glad to hear from you,thanks for now.

Thanks a lot

Helpfully during this time of K.C.S.E

Thanks wekati this is so helpful but I've got one question. What about a topic of 'Materialism and Greed are inherent nature of human beings'.

Thank you so much for the knowledge and sure it will be of help to me

Well done 👍. How can I get a pdf for this analysis?

Am glad God bless U

Great work done.

A friend in need is a friend indeed

This is marvelous work.... welldone. thank you

Thank you very much . Your guidelines are very helpful

Thank you very much God bless you.

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Am not seeing essay number 21

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Please how do I go about an essay like this "family is the only fortress and refuge when everybody runs away" the pearl

It's really straightforward. Show how Kino finds shelter or safety in family in the wake of fake and scheming "friends" who abandon him. Thanks for the question.

Thank you very much it will help students toin improve in essays. Good work

Very good essays keep it up

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74 The Pearl Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best the pearl topic ideas & essay examples, 📌 most interesting the pearl topics to write about, 👍 good research topics about the pearl, ❓ the pearl essays questions.

  • John Steinbeck’s The Pearl As the title of the book suggests, the story is based on the enormous pearl Kino finds, and the events that took place as people tried to hunt Kino for possessing the pearl.
  • Love and Death in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck He shouts his good fortune to his fellow divers, and before he reaches home, the news is already known to the inhabitants of the village and the town, including the priest and the doctor. We will write a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts 808 writers online Learn More
  • The Pearl by John Steinbeck Kino plans to travel to another city to sell this pearl, but his brother warns that the pearl is evil and he should just sell it.
  • The Support of Symbolism, Plot, and Characterization to the Theme in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • An Analysis of the Setting in the Novel “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • Loyalty Demonstration in “The Odyssey” and “The Pearl”
  • Comparing Characterization in Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men” and “The Pearl”
  • An Analysis of Virtue in “The Pearl” and “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck
  • The Symbolism of the Pearl in the Novel “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • The Value of the Pearl in John Steinbeck’s “The Pearl”
  • An Examination of the Configuration in John Steinbeck’s Novel “The Pearl”
  • Constant Struggle Between the Morally Opposite Forces of Good and Evil in “The Pearl”
  • Kino and Juana’s Racial Heritage, Tradition, and Oppression in Steinbeck’s “The Pearl”
  • The Importance of the Writing Style in John Steinbeck’s “The Pearl”
  • A Story of Man’s Self-Destruction in Steinbeck’s “The Pearl”
  • Transformation Due to Money in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • The Deterioration of Kino’s Character Due to Greed in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • The Dramatic Changes in the Life of Kino in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • Humanity’s Struggle With Greed Depicted in John Steinbeck’s “The Pearl”
  • The Theme of Obsession in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • The Tale of the Pearl as Told by Juana, a Character in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • An Analysis of the Theme of Selfishness in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • The Influence of Power and Authority on the Main Character’s Lifestyle in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • Disclosure of the Theme of Class Struggle in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • The Role of Ignorance in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • Financial Gaps in Mexico and “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • The Role of Economic and Social Oppression in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • The Destructive Influence of Materialism in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • Nature in Crucial Plot-Points in Steinbeck’s “The Pearl”
  • The Value and Evaluation of Material Entities as a Central Theme in “The Pearl”
  • The Influence of the Social and Cultural Context on the Life of the Protagonist in “The Pearl”
  • Differences Between Kino’s People and the Doctor in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • The Portrayal of Verism Through “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • The Pursuit of Material Wealth and Happiness in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • Modern Interpretation of “The Pearl” From a Personal Point of View
  • Disappointment in Steinbeck’s “The Pearl”
  • Evaluating Very Simplistic View in Great Depth in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck Movie Versus Novel
  • The Use of Vivid Description in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • The Moral Values in Life in “A Raisin in the Sun”, “Almost a Woman”, and “The Pearl”
  • The Use of Imagery and Mood in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • The Relationship Between Juan and Coyotito in the Creative Story of “The Pearl”
  • Common Problems in the 1940s in “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
  • Relationship Between the Life of John Steinbeck and His Characters in the Novel “The Pearl”
  • How Does Steinbeck Present Race in “The Pearl”?
  • What Does “The Pearl” Symbolize?
  • How Power and Authority Affect the Main Character’s Lifestyle in “The Pearl”?
  • How Is Poverty Dehumanizing in “The Pearl”?
  • What Is the Moral Lesson of “The Pearl”?
  • How Is Ambition Shown in “The Pearl”?
  • Why Are the “Dark Ones” and the Trackers Never Identified in “The Pearl”?
  • Is “The Pearl” a Parable or Allegory?
  • What Is the Personification in “The Pearl”?
  • How Does the Pearl Impact Kino and Juana Relationship?
  • What Do the Beggars Symbolize in “The Pearl”?
  • What Does Coyotito Symbolize in “The Pearl”?
  • What Does Kino’s Canoe Symbolize in “The Pearl”?
  • How Does Steinbeck Characterize the Doctor in “The Pearl”?
  • What Is the Main Theme of “The Pearl”?
  • What Is the Function of the Many Songs That Kino Hears During “The Pearl”?
  • Who Is the Antagonist of “The Pearl”?
  • Are Kino and Juana Defeated or Triumphant at the End of “The Pearl”?
  • What Is the Mood of “The Pearl”?
  • What Is the Social Criticism in “The Pearl”?
  • How Does “The Pearl” Conclusion Complete Steinbeck’s Moral Argument?
  • What Role Does Family Play in “The Pearl”?
  • Was “The Pearl” Evil or Honest?
  • Why Is the Scorpion Important in “The Pearl”?
  • What Is the Main Conflict in the Story “The Pearl”?
  • How Greed Is Portrayed in “The Pearl”?
  • What Is the Conclusion of “The Pearl”?
  • How Does Steinbeck Combine Naturalistic and Symbolic Elements in “The Pearl”?
  • How Is Irony Used in “The Pearl”?
  • What Does the Water Symbolize in “The Pearl”?
  • Chicago (A-D)
  • Chicago (N-B)

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essay questions about the pearl

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John Steinbeck

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  • About The Pearl
  • Character List
  • Summary and Analysis
  • Character Analysis
  • Introduction
  • The Doctor and the Priest
  • John Steinbeck Biography
  • Critical Essays
  • Source of The Pearl
  • A General Critical Approach
  • Cite this Literature Note

Study Help Essay Questions

1. Discuss the various animal imagery that functions throughout the novel: the ants, the scorpion, the hissing snakes, the schools of fish, the oysters, the dogs, and the pearl buyers as octopuses, etc.

2. Describe in detail Kino and Juana's simple life before and after the discovery of the pearl.

3. How does Steinbeck characterize the doctor? How does he let the reader know that the white powder which the doctor administers to Coyotito is actually a poison which would kill the baby if the doctor did not return?

4. How does the priest function as a travesty of religion?

5. Why are the pearl buyers referred to as "fatherly" and "benevolent"? How does this contradict their real purposes? Are they also victimized?

6. Why are the "dark ones" and the trackers never identified? What is gained by Steinbeck's not identifying them?

7. A symbol can change its meaning during the course of a novel. How does the pearl change its meaning during the course of this novel?

8. Kino believes that it would be better to kill a person than to kill a canoe because a canoe has no relatives to revenge it. What types of values are operative in such a statement?

9. Kino and Juana function more or less on a primitive level in their lives and in their religion, yet they both want a church wedding and a christening for Coyotito. How are these values consistent with their lives? How are they contradictory?

10. What is the function of the many songs that Kino hears during the course of the novel?

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A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

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Discussion Questions

Consider the priest and the doctor as foil characters. How do their characteristics and roles overlap, and how do they differ?

The narrator says that The Pearl is a parable, which is a simple story that teaches a moral or lesson. What morals or lessons might Kino’s people derive from the story? Do those morals and lessons differ from the ones Steinbeck intends readers to take from it?

Consider dialogue within The Pearl . Though Kino and his people speak an unidentified “old language,” the dialogue is recorded in English. What tone and style does Steinbeck adopt for the dialogue, and how does it influence your perception of the characters and events?

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by John Steinbeck

The pearl study guide.

John Steinbeck wrote The Pearl during the time in which he was at the height of his fame. He had completed The Grapes of Wrath , for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was renowned and reviled as a subversive, unpatriotic man who threatened the national interest through the socialist themes of his novels. This view of Steinbeck was inconsistent with his soft-spoken nature, but by 1944, when Steinbeck began to write The Pearl, Steinbeck had come to reconcile this aspect of his fame.

Steinbeck wrote The Pearl based on his personal convictions, and based the story on the biblical parable of a ?pearl of great price.' In this story, a jewel for which the merchant trades everything he owns becomes the metaphor for Heaven. Everything in the merchant's earthly existence, however, becomes worthless when compared to the joys of living with God in Heaven. However, Steinbeck uses the parable as a meditation on the American dream of success. Steinbeck, who himself had risen quickly to prosperity, explores how Kino , the protagonist of The Pearl, deals with his newfound prominence in the community and riches.

Steinbeck found a second inspiration for The Pearl in the tale of a young Mexican boy told in Steinbeck's Sea of Cortez. However, the boy in the original form of the story wished to use the pearl to buy clothing, alcohol and sex. The story contains several similar plot points, including the rapacious dealers and the attacks on the boy to find the pearl, that would recur in the story's final form.

The Pearl derives much of its force from the descriptions of the impoverished lifestyle of the Mexicans of La Paz, the location of the story. The plight of the impoverished is a consistent theme in Steinbeck's work, including The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men . Although these novels dealt with white protagonists, Steinbeck turned to the plight of Mexicans for The Pearl based on the 1942 and 1943 Zoot Suit Race Riots in Los Angeles.

By the time that Steinbeck wrote The Pearl, he had gained an interest in writing screenplays, and thus wrote the novel in a form suitable for easy adaptation to film. The story has a simple plot structure and an economy of characters, but unlike The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, and East of Eden , Steinbeck did not adapt The Pearl. Instead, Steinbeck focused on screenplays written originally for the screen for his subsequent works.

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The Pearl Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Pearl is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

-other pearl divers

-rest of the people in village

What does Kino mean by, “This pearl has become my soul. “If I give it up I shall lose my soul…” Do you agree with him?

Kino allows the pearl to consume his life at the expense of everything else he holds dear. Do I agree with him? Money is nothing when compared with the people who love you...... absolutely not.

describe the setting of the novel "The Pearl"

The setting is a Mexican coastal village called La Paz, probably on the Baja Peninsula. The time is not mentioned although many feel it looks like the late 18th ot early 19th century.

Study Guide for The Pearl

The Pearl study guide contains a biography of John Steinbeck, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

  • About The Pearl
  • The Pearl Summary
  • The Pearl Video
  • Character List
  • Chapter 1 Summary and Analysis

Essays for The Pearl

The Pearl literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Pearl.

  • The Pearl versus The Secret River
  • The Pearl: Symbolism Analysis
  • A Dollar Cannot Buy a Smile: Riches vs. Happiness in 'The Pearl'
  • Women as a Voice of Reason in John Steinbeck’s “The Pearl”
  • An Analysis of Imagery and Mood in John Steinbeck’s “The Pearl”

Lesson Plan for The Pearl

  • About the Author
  • Study Objectives
  • Common Core Standards
  • Introduction to The Pearl
  • Relationship to Other Books
  • Bringing in Technology
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Wikipedia Entries for The Pearl

  • Introduction

essay questions about the pearl

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The Pearl Essay Questions with Answers - The Pearl Study Guide

« Previous Topic LANGUAGE AND STYLE - Stylistic Devices - The Pearl Study Guide

Exam Style Pearl Essays Questions and Answers

Below are essays with answers from The Pearl Set Text. These test questions and answers are the type that are set in the national exams, with ways of how to answer and description.

You can also easily download these essays as pdf to read online whenever you need.

The essays below are mostly in marking scheme format. With points that examiners check.

It should be noted that in an exam situation, essays should be written in prose and not point form as in some of the examples below. In an exam, the "Introduction", "Body" and "Conclusion" titles should not be added in your essays. The examples below just guide on the format that your essays should take.

1. ‘Our lives are controlled by destiny’ Using illustrations from ‘The Pearl’, write an essay to support this statement.

Introduction ( 2mks)

Forces beyond one’s control shape our destiny. What a number of characters go through in the Pearl is pre-determined. Accept any other relevant introduction.

Body(12mks)

  • The death of baby Coyotito is pre-determined. However much the family tries to protect and save him, he finally passes on when they are attacked by the attackers.
  • Kino returns the Pearl to the sea. This is after he unsuccessfully tries to sell it. The pearl buyers collude to deny him the opportunity to sell it by setting very low price for it.
  • Failure by Kino to get to the Pearl Buyer or the best price is beyond his control. This is what makes him to finally realize that it is the pearl that is turning him into an animal and a target of thieves that he throws it back to the sea.
  • The stinging of the baby. The scorpion stings the baby irrespective of Kino’s attempt to kill it. This is foreshadowed by the music of Evil in Kino mind and the music of the enemy.

Conclusion(2mks)

Any valid conclusion summarizing the points

2. “A society driven by greed suffers alot” Using illustrations from “The Pearl” by JohnSteinbeck, write an essay to support the statement.

  • Kino’s greed for wealth after his discovery of the pearl brings out the worst of him when he retreats into a man driven by the desire to guard his treasure even at the expense of life. He Kills to protect his Pearl. Coyotito’s life is lost as he pursues a better life.
  • The doctor is driven by greed and this brings out the nasty inner man he is. He is painted as one of the inheritors of colonial evils - greed topping the list.
  • He is repulsive of Kino on his first Counter but he hears about the discovery of the pearl, he makes a quick turn just to benefit.
  • The pearl buyers all salivate at making a kill when news of Kino’s newly found pearl reaches them. They all strategize to exploit Kino even by dismissing the worth of the pearl.

3. Materialism and greed are inherent nature of human beings. Discuss the statement, basing your arguments on the Pearl.

General or context based.

Introduction: It is the nature of human beings to wrongly desire what isn’t theirs. Such is the case in The Pearl as seen through characters such as The Doctor, The Priest, Pearl buyers etc.

  • The Doctor: Wants to take advantage of Coyotito’s sickness to get the Pearl. Upon learning that Kino has found a pearl he visits Kino and yet he had turned him away earlier. He tries to trick Kino into giving him the Pearl. He also observes Kino’s eyes with an intention of knowing where the Pearl could be buried.
  • The Priest: Wants to take advantage of Kino’s and Juana’s marriage. He pays Kino a visit with intentions of getting some of the proceeds of the Pearl. He is keen to remind Kino to give thanks in church, he also wishes to med him and baptize his son. This is because they can now pay for this.
  • Pearl buyers: They conspire on how to deal with Kino who has found “the pearl of the world”. They lie to him about the actual cost of the Pearl. They offer very little when in actual sense it is a very expensive pearl.
  • The trackers: They track Kino and follow him all the way with intentions of forcefully taking the pearl from him. From Juana we learn that they will not spare Kino, his wife and son in their efforts of getting the Pearl.
  • Attackers: They attack Kino on several occasions and injure him. They burn down Kino’s house and destroy his boat- his source of livelihood.

Give opinion or recap the points that have been highlighted.

4. “Greed leads to evil.” Write a composition to show the truth of this statement using illustrations from John Steinbeck’s The Pearl.

Accept a relevant introduction

  • The doctor declines to treat Kino’s child, Coyotito, of the scorpion sting because he has no money (has only small worthless pearls).
  • The pearl buyers are out to take advantage of Kino and his pearl. Their goal is to cheat him and ruin his plans of happiness and peace for his family.
  • The doctor comes to take advantage of Kino’s ignorance by making Coyotito sick and pretending that his illness is the result of the scorpion sting. He pretends as if he does not know of Kino’s pearl, yet the only reason he has come to treat Coyotito was to tr yand seek out where Kino might be hiding it.
  • Kino is attacked several times as the attackers want to rob him of the pearl of the world.
  • The pearl turns Juana and Kino against one another. At the beginning of the story, they are very close but the pearl divides them. Kino attacks and injures his wife when she wants to throw it into the sea.
  • Kino is forced to kill a man to defend himself and the pearl.
  • His hut is burned after someone searching for the pearl has ransacked it.
  • Trackers follow Kino and his family and they have to hide in the mountain.
  • Finally, Kino’s child is shot.

Accept a relevant conclusion.

5. “Appearance can be deceptive” With close reference to the text The Pearl write an essay in support of the statement.

  • Some things happen in our lives and we think they are blessings. The appearance of a person can appear to glitter when in real sense the character is rotten. It is usually a rude shock when we realize that outward appearances can be deceptive. This is shown clearly in JohnSteinbeck’s novel, The Pearl.
  • When Kino find the Pearl of the World, he has great dreams. He believes the pearl would drastically improve his life and that of his family. He hopes to marry Juana in church, buy new clothes, educate his son, replace his lost harpoon and buy himself a rifle. Unfortunately, his dreams are shattered. There are attempts to steal it and his life is threatened several times. He does not sell it at a low price offered by the pearl buyers. Consequently, Juana declares it evil and attempts to throw it back to the sea. Kino follows her and wretches the pearl from her hand and strikes her with his clenched fist and kicks her on the side. He later kills a man, his canoe is vandalized, their brush house is burnt down and they are forced to flee to save their lives. They lose their only child and return home broken only to throw the pearl back to the sea. The glitter in the pearl, finally brings them misfortune and they lose all what they had treasured.
  • The priest stands for the moral authority in La Paz. Kino's dream is to be married in his church. When he says that discrimination is God designed, Kino and Tomas take it as gospel truth. Unfortunately, we find that Kino and Juana are not married in church and Coyotito's is not baptized simply because they cannot pay. When the priest comes to their house he tactfully tells Kino that he is named after a great man and a great Father of the church. He tells them to remember to give thanks to Him who had given them the treasure. As a result his moral fiber becomes questionable since he is motivated by greed and hopes to benefit from Kino's Pearl. This is contrary to the kind of person we expect of him.
  • A doctor's profession is admired by many people. When we meet him, he is sitting up in his high bed, dressed in a gown of red watered silk and he is taking breakfast from a silver tray with a silver chocolate pot and tiny cup of egg-shell China. Among the furnishing of his room are religious pictures and a large tinted photograph of his late wife. We are surprised to learn that he is discontented in life and harbours memories of high life with a mistress in Paris. Moreover, he refuses to treat Coyotito who has been stung by a scorpion because the family cannot afford his medical fee. When he learns that Kino has a valuable pear, he ironically says Kino is a client of his and that he is treating his child for a scorpion sting. His greed and opportunism is evident when he makes the recovering child sick in order to treat him and be paid from the proceeds of the pearl. All the above prove that appearances can be deceptive.
  • The stout pearl buyer's face looks fatherly and benign and his eyes twinkled with friendship. He is a caller of good-mornings, a ceremonious shaker of hands, and a jolly man who knew all jokes. However, his deception is revealed when Kino entered his office to sell the pearl. His eyes become as steady and cruel and unwinding as a hawk's eyes while the rest of his face smiled in greeting. He cheats that he is going to value and give Kino the best price. After examining the pearl, he puts on a sad and contemptuous smile and declares it a fool's gold and a curiosity only suitable for a museum. He even invites other dealers to support his opinion. His presence is revealed when he, together with other dealers panic when Kino refuses to sell the pearl to him. He further offers to give one thousand five hundred pesos. This proves that his appearance is deceptive.

6. Greed for worldly possessions can lead to in controllable madness. Using Kino, draw illustrations from John Steinbeck’s The Pearl.

Introduction

  • Kino's determination to fight poverty and guarantee a future of comfort and security is rewarded with a rare find of the greatest pearl in the world. However, such determination is marked with a mad obsession that blocks him from being reasonable (Sober)
  • A thief gets into his house and attempts to steal the pearl from where he buried it. Kino fights the thief off with a knife. He however receives a blow on his head and Juana has to nurse him.
  • Her plea for Kino to throw the pearl "This pearl is like sin! It will destroy us"is met with a stubborn resolve to keep it.
  • When Kino steps out of his brush house, Juana hears a little rush, a grunting struggle and a blow. In terror, she comes out with a stone from the fire place only to find Kino on the ground struggling to rise. He had been attacked by a thief in need of the pearl. She entreats him to do away with the pearl: Let us throw it back in the sea where It belongs Kino, it is evil, it is evil! Kino is determined to defend and protect it at all costs.
  • At cock-crow, Kino senses his wife moving quietly to the fireplace and takes the pearl intending to throw it into the sea. He follows her, wrenches the pearl out of her hands and strikes her in the face with his clenched fist. She falls among the boulders and he kicks her in the side. He becomes violent and half insane.
  • As he moves away from his wife, Kino is attacked and his attackers ransack him. Luckily, the pearl drops from his hand and falls near a stone. He kills a man with his knife. Kino and his family attempt to flee from their village, but to his dismay, his canoe has a hole in it. He was an animal now, for hiding for attacking
  • Kino is not ready to take advice from Juan Tomas or Juana, his wife and get rid of the pearl. He says the pearl has become his soul. "If I give it up I shall lose my soul."
  • Kino readily counters any threats to himself and his family. He ceases to be human and becomes an animal. Kino kills the three trackers in a moment of sheer madness. "...the big knife swung free in his right hand."

7. The Pearl potrays humans as beings inherently greedy. Show the validity of this statement with reference to The Pearl.

Sample introduction.

Greed is evident throughout the text as exhibited from the actions of various characters in the text. Kino, a pearl fisherman finds superb pearl. News of this great discovery spread to admiration and greed for the pearl in equal measure.

Points to consider

  • The priest on hearing about the finding of the pearl starts to think of the need for church repairs. He wonders whether Kino and Juana have been properly married (in church and whether Coyotito has been baptized. As a result, he makes a trip to Kon's village driven by greed to lay his hand on the newly found fortune. His was an indirect approach.
  • After Kino finds the pearl, the doctor, who had a first refused to treat Coyotito, takes upon himself to deliver the medicine to 'cure'Coyotito. He injects Coyotito with a drug to ensure he is sick so as to later 'cure' him. While in the homestead, his darting eyes are focused on kino to get a clue on where the pearl might be hidden. This shows his greedy nature.
  • The pearl buyers had opened different offices in town with a sole aim of exploiting the pearl fishermen. They had collaborated with an aim of buying the pearl at the cheapest price and when Kino fails to fall for their trap they dismiss his pearl of being of poor quality. This portrays their greed.
  • The pearl exposes Kino's family to so much danger. There are a number of attempts to end his life. Those responsible were driven by greed. they wanted to own the pearl due to its fortune. At the same time, Kino killed in self defense. His hut is burnt down and his boat is knocked. All this shows the greedy nature of the thieves who want to own the pearl.
  • Greed is also noted among the beggars who pinched camp outside the church. They also hope to benefit from pearl for they know there is no alms giver like a poor man who suddenly becomes rich. They believe that when Kino sells the pearl they will benefit.
  • The villagers followed every detail concerning Kino's pearl through Kino's brother Juan Toma. This shows some element of greed. Conclusion It is evident that greed for material wealth is inherent even in some cases where individual effort has not been raised.

8. Using the Pearl by John Steinbeck, write an essay to support the proverb," All that Glitters is not gold"

Introduction (2 mks).

As the proverb state all that glitters is not gold, we can agree with this proverb as in "The Pearl" we see that Kino gets a great pearl that can provide a better life for him and his family, however, it is through the same pearl that Kino loses everything.

Body (12 mks) For points of interpretation (4 x 3 = 12 mks)

  • Kino loses his canoe. After killing a man who has attempted to steal the pearl, Kino intend to escape with the family. He finds that the canoe had been destroyed by being punctured with a hole. The boat is a pined possession to Kino and his people Pg 87. This was an evil beyond thinking. The Killing of a man was not so evil as the killing of a boat, for a boat does not have soul, and a boat cannot protect itself, and a wounded boat does not heal. Kino felt sorrow in his rage. Pg 32. Kino's canoe was the one thing of value he owned in the world. The canoe had been handed down from his grandfather to the father and family to Kino. It was at one property and source of food for a man with a boat could guarantee a woman that she will eat something. It is the bull work against starvation.
  • Coyotito dies. In Kino's struggle with the trackeses who were out to get the pearl, Coyotito is killed. The trackers catch up with Kino as he is on his way to sell the pearl in the capital pg 114. One of the trackers shoots Coyotito thinking that it is a Coyotea after he hears Coyotito's cry and thinks that it is the one of a Coyoto.
  • Coyotito is Kino's only child and Kino loves him a lot. He goes for pearl fishing so that he can get a pearl when he can use to pay the doctor to cure him of a scorpion lot. When he gets the pearl, he intends to take Coyotito to speed and to buy his new clothes (pg 45). At the end Kino loses the very person he intends to provide a better life for.
  • Kino loses his home. Kino's brush house is burnt by one of the attackers and they end up fining shelter at Juan. Thomas and Apolonia's home. Pg 88. He save a little glove of him, and then without internal a tall flame leaped up in the dork with a cracking roar, a tall edifice of fire lighted the pathway. Kino broke into a run; it was his brush house, he knew it.
  • Kino loses his dignity. When Kino finds the "pearl of the World" all manner of people became interested in the pearl. He is attended by different dark figures who want the pearl and he ends up killing a man and the attackers pg 58, Kino held his breath to listen and he knew that whatever dark thing was in his house holding its breath too.... And then he sprang like an angry at. Leaped striking and sporting, for the dark thing he knew was in the corner of his house .... And he raised the blade and looked at it and saw a little line of blood on the steel Pg 84. He heard the rush, got his knife out and lunged at one dark figure and he felt his knife go home...... ..... not in an instant, Juma knew that the old life was gone forever. A dead man in the path and Kino's knife, dark-bladed beside him.
  • He also kills the trackers pg 115. By tying to defend and pulled the pearl he ends up killing all these people

9. A person’s character can at times lead to their downfall’. Drawing examples from Kino’s life, write an essay to justify this statement.(20marks)

  • The students must use adjectives of behaviour in the body.
  • Must begin with on introduction written in a separate paragraph, followed by the body which should have atleast four separate paragraphs. Each paragraph should have a negative character trait identified, illustration showing how that character is manifested and how it leads to the character's downfall.
  • The students should only focus on kino as a character and not any other character
  • For the conclusion, let the learner give a summary and a remedial statement in the same paragraph (concluding paragraph) to get the (2marks). If only one is given then give (1 mark)

Examples of introduction

  • In life, many people get into trouble just because of some of their characters. This is also well illustrated in John Steinbecks novel. The pearl, in which he presents to us a character Kino who falls into many challenges just because of his mannerism.
  • Kino is vengeful / racist/temperamental As the procession taking Coyotito to the doctor get to his gate, Kino hesitates for a moment. This doctor is not of his people.' He was of a race which for nearly four hundred years had beaten and starved and robbed and despised Kino's race. Kino is filled with fear and anger due to the prejudice that the doctor's race had towards his race. Due to his racists and vengeful nature, he crushes the doctors gate with his fist only to injure his knuckles to an extend that they bleed. (This applies to all of the three points)
  • Kino is a racist - When Kino sees the doctor at his doorway after getting the great pearl, he is raged with hatred and fear for hundreds of years of subjugation were cut deep in him. He hates the doctor's race for having oppressed his race for a long time. This now makes him suffer fear and apprehension.
  • Kino's materialistic nature make him not sell the pearl. When he goes to sell the pearl, he turns down the pearl buyers' offer of 1000 pesos, yet the neighbours knew that it was only yesterday that he had nothing. Another dealer offers 500 pesos to him and he snatches him the pearl and wraps it in a deerskin and thrust it inside his shirt. Even when the first dealer says that he can now offer fifteen hundred pesos, Kino goes away with the pearl pushing his way through the crowd.
  • Kino's defiant / insensitive nature lead to the loss of their only son Juana warns him that the pearl is evil and they should destroy it before it destroys them to which he refuses. He says he will win over it because he is a man. She even tells him a man can be killed and he insists he is a man. At the end he aims and fires between the frantic frightened eyes only to kill his son. He had even earliest on confessed to Juam Tomas that it is his misfortune but he will keep it.
  • Kino's brutal nature make him kill a man which agitates the neighbours forcing them to destroy his canoe and burn his house. When she follows Juana at night when she goes to throw the pearl back into the sea he beats her and she later on sees a stranger with dark shiny fluid leaking from his throat. She knows it is a dead man killed by Kino's knife which lay beside him. He confesses to her that he killed to save his life. They plan to escape only to get his boat with a splintered hole broken in it. His house is also set of fire forcing him to seek refuge at his brother's place.

NB- Mark any other relevant point that is well identified, illustrated and explained.

10. Easy come easy go. Write a composition to show the truth of this statement using illustrations from JohnSteinbeck’s The Pearl.

The things we get easily in life do not last most of the time. It is however the case that the things we strive to get are a blessing to us. This case is clearly brought out through some of the characters in John Steinbeck's text The Pearl.

  • Following the sickness of Coyotito, Kino and wife set out to try their luck in getting a means of getting payment for his treatment. Juana remains hopeful that the husband will get a pearl by which they can get Coyotito treated. This does not take long as Kino gets a pearl of the world.
  • Kino and the wife get moved by this discovery and hope that it will transform their lives. The villagers also hope to benefit from it. It however does not take long before Kino starts experiencing attacks at night. Attempts by Kino to have a good sale from the Pearl do not bear fruits as the pearl buyers can only offer one thousand pesos.
  • His attempts to move on and sell it elsewhere turns out tragic as he is followed by trackers. The result of a confrontation with them is the death of Coyotito. After realizing that the pearl does not give him peace, Kino follows the wife's advice and throws the pearl back to the sea. With this, the pearl does not improve Kino's life in any way, it only disrupts it.

It is true that things people have not struggled enough for may not be of much benefit.

11. In what ways does Kino defy the patterns of life in the town and how does this change him

Kino begins the novel poor and unable to think beyond the confines of his native fishing village. After discovering of the pearl, however, Kino begins to dream of possibilities for his family, most notably an education for his son, that were previously unthinkable. He sees these dreams materialize when he looks into the pearl's surface. Because he cannot simply ignore these dreams he embarks upon a course of action which eventually makes him a fugitive from his own village and a killer of men several times over. The people of the town did not trust their eyes due to the effects of the Gulf mist, yet Kino believes the things he first sees in the pearl and is deceived. The image of his son receiving an education is replaced by an image of the boy's dead body; similarly, the image of Kino and Juana being married in the church is replaced by an image of her bruised and swollen face after he has beaten her. When he returns to the village, defeated by the death of his son, he first offers Juana the chance to throw the pearl into the sea. This indicates that he has learned to appreciate her judgement and is, in a sense, yielding to her. That she insists that he be the one to throw the pearl into the sea indicates that she remains faithful to their previous way of life and, as she has always done, seeks to preserve it.

12. Throughout the story Kino and Juana are attuned to ancient songs that warn them of evil or nurture their sense of family. In what way do these songs serve as rhetorical devices to further the parable?

The use of the songs allows Steinbeck to emphasize Kino and Juana's essential innocence and connection with the natural world and also allows the author to sharply delineate between those things in the story which are to be read as "evil" and those that are understood to be "good". Thus, the Priest is accompanied by the song of evil and the reader knows, without being told in so many words, not to take his statements at face value. The stone that Juana uses to grind the corn, although a facet of her family's poverty, is accompanied by the song of the family and the reader is led to infer that in these simple things does the strength of goodness reside for Kino and his people.

13. The narrator says that to Juana men were "half-gods and half insane" and that she believed women capable of saving men at times through the woman's natural qualities of "reason, caution and sense of preservation." How are these gender roles vital to the story?

Kino believes he can capitalize on the wealth of the pearl because as a man in his native society he has always been the decision-maker and source of physical strength that has provided for its survival. Though he is initially frightened to go to the city he decides that he must make the journey in order that his family will not merely survive but prosper. Juana knows that because Kino is a man he will "drive his strength against a mountain" but "in her woman's soul" she knows that "the mountain would stand while the man broke himself." For this reason she attempts to dissuade Kino. In order for her way of life to continue, however, she must yield to his decisions until he can understand the pearl's evil himself.

14. What characters in the novel are portrayed as overtly good or evil? What characters are portrayed as ambiguous?

Of all the characters in the novel that of the Doctor is rendered most starkly evil and that of Juana is rendered most steadfastly good. The scene in which the Doctor dupes Juana by simply re-poisoning Coyotito and then pretends to cure him makes the Doctor seem all the more duplicitous and she all the more innocent. Ambiguous characters include the pearl buyers who, though they seek to purchase the pearls at the lowest price, are simply acting in accordance with the dictates of their profession and the trackers who doggedly pursue Kino and his family into the wilderness who, like the pearl buyers are not inherently good or bad but merely performing their duty to the best of their ability.

15. In what ways is The Pearl a political novel?

The Pearl is the story of a poor indian whose people have been subjugated for over four hundred years. While the descendents of the Europeans live in stone houses, surrounded by walls, Kino and his people live in grass shacks with earth floors. Kino's struggle to better the lot of his family and his eventual failure can be read as a condemnation of the economic system which prevents Kino from realizing the value of the great pearl. Significantly, Kino's most cherished dream is that his son might receive an education and free his people from the cycle of poverty and ignorance. Coyotito's death, however, destroys Kino's family and serves as a painful reminder that the injustices, which his people have always suffered, will not be overturned by the actions of an individual. The horror of Kino's failure reminds the reader of the need for reform and aid in societies where such action cannot be successfully implemented by the dispossessed.

16. Despair and misery are brought about by racism. Referring closely to John Steinbeck’s, The Pearl, write an essay to support this statement.

  • The priest is an agent of the racist colonial masters.
  • He has not baptized Coyotito because Kino does not have money – the colonial masters have ensured the indigenous remain in poverty.
  • The Priest, a white, remembers this only when he realizes Kino can now afford the cost when he gets the Pearl of the world. He considers Kino’s race children and treated them so. This is evident as the indigenous hold the Priest in awe as he comes to Kino’s house pg 47
  • Kino has also failed to solemnize his marriage in Church. He has longed for this but he did not have the money to give the racist Priest.
  • When Kino gets the Pearl of the world, his immediate wish is to used. Again, that is the time the racist Priest reminds him about marrying in Church.
  • Racial Prejudice is manifest when Coyotito is sting by scorpion.
  • The neighbours and even Kino believe that the doctor cannot come to the brush houses when Kino and neighbours take the child to the doctor, he makes racist remarks saying he is a doctor not a veterinary. He became angry.
  • He refuses to treat Coyotito because Kino cannot pay. ‘Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for little Indians’ pg 28
  •  In the end Kino is left alone standing at the doctor’s gate in shame as the servant says the doctor has gone out yet he is in pg 28.
  • The racist Colonists have left the indigenous in ignorance. They don’t have access to good education. That is why Kino insists that Coyotito must go to school and in good uniform pg 45 – 46. The neighbours think this is impossible.
  • Kino want the child to go to School so that he can acquire the knowledge so that the Parent’s ignorance can be driven away since their son knows – “he will know and through him we shall know” pg 46
  • There’s contrast between the life of the indigenous who have been kept in poverty and the whites.
  • Kino’s race mainly live in brush house in clusters. This contrasts sharply with the city of stone and plaster with well fenced beautiful homes like the doctor’s.
  • Even the meals Kino take of corncake and pulque contrasts to the doctors sweat cake.
  • They are encouraged by the racist Priest to maintain the status que on pg 68
  • “………. but each one must remain faithful to his post and must not go running about else the castle is in danger from the assaults of Hell”.
  • The indigenous Mexicans are exploited. They are Pearl fishers but they offered very poor prices for their valuable gems.
  • “ The Pearls had raised the King of Spain to be a great power in Europe in past years, had helped to pay for his wars, and had decorated the Churches for his souls sake” pg 34
  • Despite this the fishermen are paid peanuts as seen in Kino’s experience with his great Pearl.
  • We are told a man once offered the Pearls to the Church instead of taking very low price.
  • The Priest also encourages the status quo so that getting better money is against religion
  • The indigenous were treated with cruelty.
  • Kino hated the doctor’s race. The doctor was from a race which nearly for four hundred years had beaten and stowed and robbed and despised Kino’s race pg 26
  • The doctors race talked to Kino’s race as if they were simple animals pg 26 Expect any 4 well illustrated points mark 3: 3: 3: 3 12 marks Relevant Conclusion 2 marks Grammar and Presentation 4marks 20 marks

17. Most people equate fortune to happiness which is not the case. Justify the truth of this statement drawing illustrations from the pearl by John Steinbeck.

  • It brings about physical injury to Kino as he attempts to fight off his enemies.
  • Murder – Kino kills four men to save the pearl
  • Violence – He hits his wife
  • Loss of property – His boat is destroyed and his house burnt down
  • Family conflict and turbulence in the once calm home.
  • Loss of their child Coyotito (any other valid points)

More questions

  • Discuss the various animal imagery that functions throughout the novel: the ants, the scorpion, the hissing snakes, the schools of fish, the oysters, the dogs, and the pearl buyers as octopuses, etc.
  • Describe in detail Kino and Juana's simple life before and after the discovery of the pearl.
  • How does Steinbeck characterize the doctor? How does he let the reader know that the white powder which the doctor administers to Coyotito is actually a poison which would kill the baby if the doctor did not return?
  • How does the priest function as a travesty of religion?
  • Why are the pearl buyers referred to as "fatherly" and "benevolent"? How does this contradict their real purposes? Are they also victimized?
  • Why are the "dark ones" and the trackers never identified? What is gained by Steinbeck's not identifying them?
  • A symbol can change its meaning during the course of a novel. How does the pearl change its meaning during the course of this novel?
  • Kino believes that it would be better to kill a person than to kill a canoe because a canoe has no relatives to revenge it. What types of values are operative in such a statement?
  • Kino and Juana function more or less on a primitive level in their lives and in their religion, yet they both want a church wedding and a christening for Coyotito. How are these values consistent with their lives? How are they contradictory?
  • What is the function of the many songs that Kino hears during the course of the novel?
  • “Racism is a tool used to exploit others.” Drawing illustrations from John Steinbeck’s The Pearl, show the truth of this statement.
  • Kino's greatest dream upon selling the Pearl is that Coyotito gets education. With evidence from John Steinbeck's 'The Pearl', explain why Kino holds the dream of education so dearly.

18. ‘Appearances and Characters can be deceptive’. Write an essay to validate the statement basing you argument on John Steinbeck’s: ‘The Pearl’.

INTRODUCTION 2MKS Things are not always as they seem . The outward appearance of someone or something may conceal their true nature or intensions. When Kino finds a beautifull pearl he hopes to sell it and improve his family’s life but instead his life is ruined further.( Accept any other valid

  • Priest First, we do not expect the priest to join in the group people trying to exploit Kino for his wealth . The priest should represent virtues but ironically when he hears of Kino’s pearl while walking in the garden he immediately thinks of the necessary repairs in the church. He also thinks about the worth of the pearl .He can not remember whether he married Kino in church or whether he baptized their son Coyotito. His visiting Kino is something he hardly does. He claims that Kino is named after a great father of the church. He also reminds him to give thanks for his newly found wealth. It is disturbing that a clergy man would try to take advantage of Kino.
  • Doctor When the doctor gets the news of Kino’s pearl, he claims that Kino is his client and that he is treating his child Coyotito of a scorpion bite. He goes to Kino’s brush house in pretence of wanting to treat the scorpion bite. However, his main mortive is to find out more about the pearl. He warns Kino of the effects of the bite and how serious it can be for the child. He give the child a capsule which makes Coyotito very sick. He later ‘cures’ him with 3 drops of ammonia. He asks Kino when he will pay the bill hoping to the pearl as payment. He tries to convince Kino to reveal where he had hidden the pearl and even offers to keep it safely for him. If the doctor was really genuine he would have treated Coyotito the first time Kino and Juana had visited him desperately seeking his services.
  • Pearl Buyers It appears like there are many pearl buyers when in the real sense there is only one. He keeps many agents in several offices to create an illusion of competition. When Kino finds the pearl he decides to sell it to improve his living condition. One of the dealers, the man behind the desk appears fatherly. He knows all the jokes however, he is part of a conspiracy to cheat Kino out the true value of his pearl. After examining the pearl , he offers 1000 Pesos but Kino wants 50,000 Pesos.The other buyers play the same game , they pretend to be disinterested . One offers 500 Pesos claiming he could sell it for 600 Pesos. They are shocked when Kino refuses to sell his pearl. The fatherly man quickly improves his deal 1500 Pesos but in vain. It appears they are trying to offer Kino best price but in reality they are trying their best to exploit Kino.
  • The Pearl Lastly , the appearance of the pearl itself is deceptive. It appears beautifull but underneath the beauty is evil and destruction. It’s curve is perfect , it is as big as a seagull’s egg. When Kino finds it he concludes that it is the end of his poor life but he was very mistaken. He hopes to marry Juana in church, buy a riffle, a harpoon , take Coyotito to school and even buy new clothes and shoes. Non of his plans materialize. Juana nad Juan Thomas warn Kino that the pearlis evil but Kino ignores them. He beats Juana when she tries to throw the pearl into the sea. His canoe is destroyed and his hut is burnt and to top it all his son Coyotito is killed by a stray bullet while Kino runs away to the mountains. Eventually Kino realizes the evil nature of the pearl and throws it away into the ocean.

CONCLUSION 2MKS In summary, it is true to say that for sure appearances can be deceptive as illustrated above. ( Allow any other valid conclusion) Award 2:3:3:3:3+ 4mks language.

19. Drawing examples from John Steinbeck’s, The Pearl, write an essay to illustrate the saying, ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed.’

Introduction Many of us have numerous friends including our immediate family members who happen to be our immediate friends. / However, a true friend is that person who stands by you or always on your side in trying moments/ They will stick by you in moments of happiness or pain. Juana and Juan Thomas in The Pearl prove valuable friends of Kino when misfortunes strike him./ Any other valid introduction

  • Scorpion Juana stands with Kino when the baby is stung.When Coyotito is stung by a scorpion, Kino has no idea what to do. The family is poor thus cannot raise money to seek medication. They cannot see the doctor who is a racist. To save Coyotito’s life, Juana suggests that they see the doctor whether with cash or not. She also offers first aid by sucking poison out of Coyotito’s shoulder. She also finds some seaweed and made a fat poultice of it and applies to the baby’s swollen shoulder. The pain subsides. There are no stomach cramps. She also prayed that her husband finds the pearl so that they can afford medication. Indeed Kino finds the greatest pearl of the world.
  • Attacks When increased attacks, Juana advises Kino to either destroy the pearl or sell it as the family was in great danger, When Kino refuses, she opts to throw it back into the sea. Although she does not succeed since Kino waylay her, it sends a strong message that she is tired and she values their lives and anything that puts their lives on line must be destroyed. When she finally lays her hands on the pearl she doesn’t throw it into the sea she feels this would hurt her husband more. She helps him on his feet, wipes blood and dresses the wounds. 3. Pearl buyers When Kino opts to sell the pearl to the capital, Juan Thomas warns him to be cautious of the pearl dealers as they are likely to exploit him. He was not privy to the price of the pearl thus he would have used agents to sell the pearl. Kino does not listen to wise counsel from his brother. He is intimidated, humiliated and regrets why he went to the town. Truth downs on him that enemies are all over. Juan is not through with him, he still warns Kino that he has exposed himself to the enemies thus he must move with speed to dispose off the pearl.
  • Killing When Kino kills a man, his house and boat is destroyed. He is a marked man. His enemies are baying for his blood and he can only save his life by escaping. It is Juan Thomas who hides him in his house and lies to the villagers that Kino’s family has escaped; probably perished into the sea. He tells them Kino has gone to the south along the coast. Before they escape, he gives Kino, a bag of beans, a gourd of rice, a cup of dried pepper, a block of salt and a knife for self-defence. Juan again, advises Kino to avoid the shore and wishes him well.
  • Flight Juana sticks by Kino as they flee. She adamantly refuses to leave him as as he suggests urguing that they stick together. He draws his strength from her resolve.

Conclusion Juana and Juan Thomas demonstrate the real meaning of friendship. Were it not for their timely intervention, Kino’s family would have perished whole.

20. “Money and desire can change an individual.” Basing your illustrations on John Steinbeck, The Pearl, write a composition to back up this statement. (20 mks)

Introduction In The Pearl Kino is poor but happy but when he finds a great fortune he becomes obsessed with being rich and this makes him sad, suspicious and irrational. This is because greed for wealth can change a person.

Before Kino finds the pearl he is a caring, protective father and husband. He seems contended and happy despite living in poverty. He is satisfied with the simple lifestyle and the little they posses. When he finds the pearl, he has great dreams for his family. He hopes to marry his wife in church. He hopes to buy her new clothes including a new shawl, new skin and new shoes. When someone tries to steal the pearl and Kino is hurt trying to protect it, Juana suggests that they get rid of it. Kino is adamant. He is blinded by desire for money. When she tries to throw it away, he strikes he badly. Excessive desire turns Kino into an abusive husband that he was not at first. Desire for money turns Kino into a heartless murderous man. Kino lives the simple life of a fisherman like the other natives of La Paz. When he finds the great pearl, he turns into “an animal”. He fights and kills a man on the path that tries to steal his pearl. Having grown tired of Kino’s inaction, Juana decides to go and throw the pearl back into the sea. Kino catches her and strikes her with a clenched fist and kicks her on the side. On his way back to the hut, he fights and kills a man forcing them to flee from their home. His obsession with changing their simple lifestyle and acquiring material possession dehumanizes him.

The excessive ambition for riches makes Kino irrational. Kino seems like a wise family man. He provides for his family through fishing and pearl diving. He loves and protects his young family. When he finds the great pearl, he hopes to take his son Coyotito to school so that he frees them from the bondage of ignorance. His preoccupation with this desire blinds him. He fails to see the danger such an ambition puts his family into. While fleeing to the north, he is pursued by three trackers, two on foot and one on a horse with a rifle. His son is eventually killed even when he manages to kill the three men. Had Kino been wise enough he would have gotten rid of the pearl as soon as he saw the red flags. He is blinded by wild desire for wealth. Lastly, the doctor changes his mind about treating Coyotito because of his desires. When Coyotito is stung by a scorpion, the doctor refuses to treat the child. He has no time to treat “little Indians” for insect bites because they never have any money. He sends them away claiming he was out attending to a serious case.

Conclusion Any relevant conclusion.

21. “When an individual fails to heed to the wise counsel, he/she ends up suffering .”justify this statement using The Pearl by John Steinbeck

The Pearl, John Steinbeck

–can be specific -can be general

  • After the visit of the doctor, Kino is attacked at night. He gets his knife and strikes but misses. He injures his forehead. Juana offers first aid and then advises him. He tells him that the pearl is evil, its like a sin, they should throw it away or break it between stones. They should bury it and forget about it. They should throw it back into the sea. It will destroy them but he does not listen. He says its their only chance, his son must go to school. As a result he is attacked a second time and is serious (pg 58-60, 74-78) after he has failed to sell the pearl. Juana the decides to throw the Pearl back into the sea. He is attacked again, he kills a man and is banished.
  • Kino is advised by Juan Thomas three times but he refuses to listen to him. He tells him :-to be careful on the handling of the pearl. So that they do not cheat him but he says he has heard stories about the selling of the Pearl and he knows ( pg 67-68)
  • He also warns him against against going to the city since it is a strange place. In lapaz he has him and his friends to assist him. When he leaves lapaz he loses his son
  • He advises him to be careful on his way. He even gives him a weapon and food for the journey but he attacks the trackers who kill his son .
  • On their way to mountain, Juana struggles to make Kino see that the Pearl may not really be worth the trouble. She tells him not to fight the trackers but he does not listen(pg 98) and Juana said, “perhaps the dealers were right and the pearl has no value.” He answers “…….No……they would not have tried to steal it if it had been valueless. In the end the son dies.
  • Juana ignores Kinos advise when they are sheltering under the boulder and they see the trackers approaching. He tells her that they separate but she refuses eventually the son is killed.
  • Juana is instructed by Kino not to come out of the care and keep the child quiet. Instead she moves to the entrance of the cave and exposes the baby. Coyotito cries and the trackers think is a coyote. He is shot and this leads to the loss of the baby. (pg109,112,114)
  • The dealers advise Kino to 1500 pesos but Kino thinks its too little. According to the neighbours 1000 pesos was not to be thrown away. This is the kind of money he had never handled before. They thought he was a pig headed fool for not accepting it. He then decides to go to the capital to sell it for more money. He later loses his son then proceeds to throw the pearl back into the sea. (pg118) (accept any other relevant point) Marks 3:3:3:3 (12mks)
  • It can be general or specific (2mrks)
  • Grammar and organisaton 4mks

Alternative:

Introduction It is sometimes prudent to listen to counsel by those close to us lest we are subjected to misery/pain. Kino after finding the greatest Pearl in the world, changes his attitude. Juana and Juan Toma’s try to caution him to no avail. He ends up a frustrated soul.

Points of Interpretation

  • Juan Toma’s advices Kino against going to the city to sell the Pearl because it is strange place. Kino turns a deaf hear to the advice, he subjects himself and his family to insecurity as they struggle to escape the trackers who ultimately kill his only son – Coyotito: pp 76, 77, 78.
  • Juana advices her husband to throw away the Pearl because it was evil and it would destroy them. When he refuses to listen, he is attacked; his house is burnt down; his canoe is broken.
  • Juana ignores the advice from Kino that they should separate and that he would lead the attackers on and if he managed to lose them, they should go to Lareto where they would reunite on. Juana turns down the advice. As a result, this leads to the death of Coyotito.
  • Kino ignores the advice from Juana Toma’s to sell the Pearl and therefore pass the evil to someone else. He refuses claiming it had become his soul. He ends up exposing himself to danger from the attackers/trackers and jeopardizing his nascent family. 3:3:3:3: = (12 marks) Any other relevant point of interpretation

Conclusion In conclusion, it is good to listen to advice given to us by those close to us lest we end up frustrated. (Accept any other relevant conclusion = 2 marks) Grammar and presentation = 4 marks

 22. Good fortune does not necessarily guarantee happiness. Elucidate the truth of this statement drawing illustrations from the Pearl by John Steinbeck. (20 marks)

Introduction  Kino expects the pearl to bring him happiness but this is not the case. Instead the pearl becomes a nightmare (Any other relevant introduction) 2 mks Content

  • Loss of their child Coyotito (any other valid points) Conclusion In conclusion, it is true to say that finding a fortune does not necessarily guarantee happiness to an individual (Any other relevant conclusion)  Language  

23. Juana is the pillar of strength for her family. Show the validity of this statement using illustrations from The Pearl by John Steinbeck.

The killing of a man

  • Juana helps Kino after he kills a man. After kino beats Juana and leaves her lying among the boulders, Kino walks up the beach through the brush line, he hears the rush, gets his knife lungs at the dark figure and feels his knife go home. He’s swept to his knees and swept again to the ground. The pearl is knocked from his hand. Juana drags herself up and climbs painfully to her feet, she goes creeping up the beach after Kino . She sees two dark figures lying in the path ahead of her. Juana leaps forward and saw Kino lying on the ground with another stranger with a dark shiny fluid leaking from his throat. Juana instantly knew that the old life was gone forever, a dead man in the path and Kino’s knife, dark-bladed beside him, convinced her. She quickly drags the dead man from the pathway into the shelter of the brush. She goes to Kino and sponges his face with her wet skirt. His senses come back and he moans. Kino cries that they have taken the pearl, he has lost it and the pearl is gone. Juana quietens him as she would quiet a sick child telling him that she has the pearl for she found it in the path. She tells him that he has killed a man and they must go away. Kino defends himself that he struck to save his life. Juana tells him that that will not matter and that the people in the city will not understand / his explanation will not help. Kino draws a great breadth, fights off his weakness and says Juana is right. With his will hardened he is a man again.
  • On the journey to the mountains Juana encourages kino when he is in despair. On the journey to the mountain the trackers came near kino and his family. They stopped at the swept place where Kino and Juana had veered off the road and studied. They move on and kino knows they would be back sooner or later to his covered tracks, he slides backwards and does not bother to cover his tracks for there were too many signs, too many broken twigs and displaced stones. There was panic in Kino now, a panic of flight for the trackers would find his trail. And there was no escape except in flight. A helplessness and a hopelessness swept over him and his face went black and his eyes were sad. He tells Juana that maybe he should let them(the trackers) take him. Juana reminds Kino that he has the pearl and they would take it and would not leave him alive. Further says they would come for her and their little one and would not let them live. Her goading strikes into his brain and his lip snarled and his eyes are fierce again. Kino tell Juana that they will go into the mountains and may be lose the trackers there.
  • Juana refuses to separate with Kino on their journey to the mountain acting as a source of strength to him. Kino takes note of Juana’s bruised ankles and suggests that he goes on while Juana hides. Kino says that he will lead the trackers into the mountains and when they have gone past Juana will go north to Loreto or Santa Rosalia. If he escapes them he will come back to her and that it was the only safe way. Juana refuses resolutely saying that she will go with him. Kino insists that he will go faster alone and argues that Juana will put the little one in more danger if she goes with kino. Juana adamantly refuses even after kino tells her that she must for it is the wise thing and it is his wish. Kino looks then for weakness in her face, for fear or irresolution and there is none. Kino shrugs his shoulders helplessly then, but he had taken strength from her. When they move on it is no longer a panic flight.

In conclusion, it is evident that Juana is an anchor to her family / backbone for the family/ offers solace in times of distress.

24. “Family members always want the best for us”. Write an essay to validate this claim basing your illustrations from John Steinbeck’s The Pearl.

Introduction In the face of diversity, our relations are always there for us. For instance, Juana Kino’s wife does everything in her power to protect her husband Kino and child Coyotito. She risks her life by sucking the scorpion’s poison out of the child’s shoulder for she cares for her son Coyotito. Accept any other introduction 2marks

  • Mother First, Juana cares for her son Coyotito. When he is stung by a scorpion, she does everything within her means to save his life. First, she sucks the poison out and spits and sucks again. She suggests that they go to see the doctor. She also sticks with Kino when he was pearl fishing and prays that they find a pearl with which they can hire the doctor to treat their son Coyotito. Meanwhile she gathers brown seaweed and makes flat damp poultice which she uses as a remedy for Coyotito’s pain. Her quick thinking saves Coyotito from the adverse effect of the scorpion sting; a withered leg, a crumpled back or a blind eye. Surely, family members are always there for us.
  • Kino Kino is a simple family man who loves and strives to protect his family. Kino finds solace and contentment in the song of the family. He knows the value of family since he inherited his only prized possession, a canoe, from his father and grandfather. He cannot take a chance that the doctor is lying to him about Coyotito’s health since he doesn’t want his child to suffer. When he gets the pearl Kino only thinks of how to improve his family; clothes for Juana and Coyotito, education for Coyotito and marrying Juana in church. Although the pearl causes pain, Kino only clings on it because he wants the best for his family.
  • Juan Thomas Juan Thomas cares for and values his brother Kino. He shows up when Coyotito is stung and accompanies Kino to the doctor. He advices Kino to be careful so that the dealers don’t take advantage of him. He also accompanies him to the dealers. When Kino kills a man, he offers him and his family shelter in his hut and tries to divert the attention of the neighbors and gathers supplies for the journey; a bag of beans, a gourd of rice, dried pepper, salt, a knife and an axe. Although he doesn’t manage to convince Kino to get rid of the evil pearl, he does all he can to help him escape it.
  • Wife Juana cares for her husband Kino and is always there for him. She wakes up early to prepare breakfast for her family. She is always on Kino’s side and acts like his chief advisor. She sees the potentially harmful nature of the pearl and asks Kino to get rid of it. She gets tired of Kino’s inaction and tries to throw the pearl away. Even after Kino attacks her she has no anger for him in her. She advices Kino to escape the village after he kills a man and sticks with him through thick and thin as they return to the village with their dead son. She is on his side when he flings the pearl back into the sea. 3:3:3:3=12 points

Conclusion In conclusion, it is indeed true to say that family members are always there for us. Surely blood is thicker than water. Accept any other valid conclusion 2marks

25. “Greed controls human desires and perpetuates evil against others." Discuss the statement drawing your illustrations from the set text The Pearl by John Steinbeck. (20mks)

INTRODUCTION

Many people have suffered in the hands of others as a result of greed. Greed for wealth, power or fame. To acquire all or any of these, some have committed hienus acts against those they perceive to stand between them and what they want. The following instances in John Steinbeck's The Pearl, show this.

  • The doctor is driven by his greed for Kino's pearl that he poisons Coyotito in order to pretend to be treating him later so that he can get money from Kino, pgs 51,52,53,54,55.
  • The pearl buyers collectively agree to cheat Kino of the true value of his pearl's worth. Their plan to pay little for Kino's precious pearl, however, backfires for Kino refuses to sell it. It evil for them to swindle Kino when they do not stand to gain anything apart self gratification on their part.
  • Kino exhibits greed in his possessive nature. He sees the pearl as the sure way to a better life. He shuns all advice against his possessed view and becomes so aggressive and fights his wife who, on seeing dangers of their continued keeping the pearl, tries to throw it back into the sea. His change into a violent man is brought about by his greed to keep the pearl in spite of the obvious dangers.
  • The trackers follow Kino on his journey to the capital with one desire; to take his Pearl, and possibly kill him. This desire is perpetuated by greed. They end up killing Coyotito, and all of them are single handedly killed by Kino, pg 102,115.
  • The pearl is said to have stirred something evil in people. Neighbors, traders and people unknown to Kino all see their dreams fulfilment in Kino's pearl. Between them and the fulfilment of these dreams is Kino. A case in hand are those who attack him the first night and the next where he ends up killing one.
  • These people are driven by greed to attempt to take Kino's pearl. In their frustration, they puncture Kino's boat, probably to immobilize him and prevent his escape to the capital. Further more,they burn down his heart when they fail to get the pearl there.

CONCLUSION Unchecked greed can bring untold miseries to the victim as to the culprit.

26. "Superstition may sometimes affect the way people live their lives." Using examples from John Steinbeck's "The Pearl," write a composition to illustrate the truth of this assertion.

  • When Coyotito is in danger of being stung by the scorpion, Juana mutters an ancient magic incantation and then some Hail Mary’s to protect her son. The ancient, superstitious religion of the peasantry has been mixed with the Catholicism of the Western upper class. Juana appeals to native gods and the Western God, uncertain of which holds the true power. This mingling of a polytheistic religion with Roman Catholicism is common in native countries that are colozized. The natives combine the gods of their own religion with the figures of Catholicism. Elements of their original faith remain, such as incantations like the one Juana mutters.
  • Juana prays that Kino will find a pearl so that they can have Coyotito’s scorpion sting treated by the doctor. She prays in an attempt to force from the gods the luck she and Kino need to take care of Coyotito. Finding a pearl of value strictly luck. Pearls themselves are accidental, and finding a pearl is considered a gift from the gods or God.
  • When Kino finds the large shell, he is reluctant to open it fist because he doesn’t want to show the gods or God that he wants the pearl so much. He believes that if he wants it too much, it won’t.
  • Kino worries that the gods will get revenge against him he finds success. He knows that the gods hate when men plan for success, and now that Kino is making plans, he fears that something will come and rob him of this opportunity.
  • Juana believes that the pearl is cursed because it has brought an intruder into their home. She warns Kino that it will destroy them all, including their son, if they don’t throw it back to the sea, but Kino won’t listen. His desire to use the pearl to educate his son and make a better life for his family is too strong. He insists that it is their only chance and he won’t give it up. Juana, however, knows that he refuses. He insists that it is their only chance, and he won’t give it up. Juana, however, knows that the pearl will only bring more evil and disaster to them, and decides she must take matters into her own hands, and get rid of the pearl.
  • Juana decides that if Kino won’t get rid of the cursed pearl, she will. She takes the pearl and tries to throw it back to the sea to protect her family from any more danger, but Kino stops her. Her fear of the pearl is well- founded; Kino beats her for trying to get rid of the pearl. Further proving that the pearl is cursed and evil. It has made Kino attack and harm the one person he loves most.
  • Juana warns Kino that the pearl is cursed and he must get rid of it to pass the evil on to someone else. He hopes that Kino can sell it soon so that the evil of the pearl will not destroy his family before Kino can rid himself of it.
  • When Kino looks into the pearl and sees only the tragedies that have befallen his family, he begins to believe that the pearl is cursed, but he still cannot part with it.
  • Kino and Juana throw the pearl back into the sea after Coyotito is killed by the trackers. The cursed pearl has brought the death of their child and forced Kinoto kill survive and protect his family. The great pearl has brought nothing but misery to Kino and his family, and together they throw the cursed object back into the sea. As it sinks, the music of the pearl turns to a whisper and then disappears.

27. With reference to John Steinbeck’s novel The Pearl, write a composition on the degrading consequences of poverty. 

  • Poor diet: Reference to Kino’s breakfast in comparison to the doctors.  Both Kino and Juana have a simple breakfast. The author places hunger as the first enemy of the poor. The author says “For sickness is second only to hunger as the enemy of the poor. Kino is said to have squatted by the fire pit and rolled a hot corn-cake and dipped it in sauce and ate it. And he drank a little pulque and that was breakfast. The poor are also said to work for long hours without food. Kino says that Juana “could stand fatigue and hunger almost better than Kino himself.”
  • Deprivation of healthcare: When Coyotito was stung everyone was surprised that Juana wants a doctor. He never visited the brush houses. The author says that it is “a wonderful thing, a memorable thing to want a doctor. To get him would be a remarkable thing. The doctor never came to the cluster of brush houses. Why would he when he had more than he could do to take care of the rich people…” “He would not come, the people said.” When Juana decides that they go, they only end up being embarrassed and the doctor refuses to treat Coyotito.  
  • Denial of education: This is captured in Kino’s ambition. The native Mexicans are so poor the basic education. Due to this they are enslaved by ignorance. Kino hopes that with the finding of the pearl his son will open books and know how to read and write and he say that “these things will make us free because we will know. He feels like the pearl offers the only chance. “This is our chance,” he said. “Our son must go to school; he must break out of the pot that holds us in.”
  • Lack of clothing: Kino and his family have been deprived of clothing on account of poverty. This in effect undermines their dignity. It is said that when Kino was going to sell the pearl “Kino’s ragged white clothes were clean at least.” The beggars quick analysis of “Juana’s old blue skirt, saw the tear in the shawl, appraised the green ribbon on her braids, read the age of Kino’s blanket and a thousand washings of his clothes and set them down as poverty people.”
  • Poor housing: The brush houses are juxtaposed and the stone and plastered houses. The houses expose the poor to risks as seen from the ease of attack that Kino experiences. Similarly, a fire would threaten to bring down the many houses. 

28. Failure to listen to wise counsel leads to suffering, show the truthfulness of this statement drawing your illustrations from the novel, The Pearl by John Stem beck. (20mks)

  • Juana advise Kino to throw away the pearl back to the see in vain.
  • Juan Thomas advises Kino to sell the pearl locally instead of trying to go to the city.
  • The merchants want to take the pearl at one thousand five hundred pesos which though small, Kino has never handled such amount of money before but he declines to let go.
  • Juana asks her husband, Kino to stay in the cave but he opts to follow the trackers to his disadvantage
  • Juana throws the pearl back into the sea.

Conclusion In conclusion, it would be wise to follow advice given by sincere people to avoid regretting later

29. Excessive desire for material things can negatively influence one’s character and sanity. Using Kino, draw illustrations from John Steinbeck’s The Pearl

Introduction  Any relevant and valid introduction.

  • Kino’s determination to fight poverty and guarantee a future of comfort and security is rewarded with a rare find of the greatest pearl in the world.  However, such determination is marked with a mad obsession that blocks him from being reasonable (sober)
  • Blow – A thief gets into his house and attempts to steal the pearl from where he buried it.  Kino fights the thief off with a knife.  He however receives a blow on his head and Juana has to nurse him.  Her plea for Kino to throw the pearl “This pearl is like sin! It will destroy us” is meet with a stubborn resolve to keep it.
  • Stone – When Kino steps out of his brush house, Juana hears a little rush, a grunting struggle and a blow.  In terror, she comes out with a stone from the fire place only to find Kino on the ground struggling to rise.  He had been attacked by a thief in need of the pearl.  She entreats him to do away with the pearl:  let us throw it back in the sea where it belongs Kino, it is evil, it is evil! Kino is determined to defend and protect it at all costs.
  • Slap – At cock-crow, Kino senses his wife moving quietly to the fire place and takes the pearl intending to throw it into the sea.  He follows her, wrenches the pearl out of her hands and strikes her in the face with his clenched fist.  She falls among the boulders and he kicks her in the side.  He becomes violent and half insane.
  • Killing – As he moves away from his wife, Kino is attacked and his attackers ransack him.  Luckily, the pearl drops from his hand and falls near a stone.  He kills a man with his knife.  Kino and his family attempt to flee from their village; but to his dismay, his canoe has a hole in it.  He was an animal now, for hiding, for attacking pg.87
  • Advice – Kino is not ready to take advice from Juan Tomas or Juana, his wife and t get rid of the pearl.  He says the pearl has become his soul. “If I give it up I shall lose my soul.”92
  • Trackers -Kino readily counters any threats to himself and his family.  He ceases to be human and becomes an animal.  Kino kills the three trackers in a moment of sheer madness.”….the big knife swung free in his right hand.”

Conclusion Any relevant and valid conclusion.

30. “He looked into its surface and it was grey and ulcerous” with close reference to the Pearl, write an essay explaining how the pearl could be said to be grey and ulcerous.

INTRODUCTION When kino gets the pearl of the world he has high hopes that it will transform his life and that of his life family for the better. Unfortunately for him the pearl turns to be the cause of his misfortunes. This as illustrated in the arguments below. (Accept any other relevant introduction)

  • The doctor – When the doctor learnt that Kino Had the pearl of the world he decides to try his lack at benefitting from it. He declares that Coyotitois a patient of his and visits Kino with the intention of treating the boy and getting the pearl as his payment. When he realizes that that Coyotito had recovered from the scorpion sting,he resorts to poisoning him. This caused Kino and his wife a lot of agony as they fear for their son since the doctors treatment worsened Coyotito’s condition (pages 41, 50, 52-53)
  • Pearl buyers Kino finds himself faced by the exploitative pearl buyer who are set reap maximally from his pearl. The buyers conspire beforehand to offer a low price for Kino’s fortune. For a pearl expected by Kino to raise 50 thousand piaster he is only offered a possible 150 piasters. He is greatly disappointed and opts not to sell to them (Pages 64, 67 – 75)
  • Broken relationship – it was expected that the pearl would strengthen the relationship between Kino and his wife Juana. Kina had hoped that he would wed his wife in church. The Pearl does the opposite. The cordial relationship between Kino and his wife is strained. When Kino realizes that Juana had intended to throw away the pearl he beats her. This is after Juana realizes that the pearl is evil and could bring them trouble (page 80)
  • Kino who is described by the neighbors as a good man in the end gets transformed into a murder because of the pearl. On his way from stopping Juana from throwing the pearl into the ocean he is attacked by someone who fights and kills. This necessitates his movement into a place of safety. He also kills the three trakers who follows him when he goes to sell the pearl.(pg 65)
  • The pearl of the world which was admired by many and which had many dreams to Kino( baptism and eductionation of Coyotito, church wedding and new clothes) Caused Kino physical injuries and peace of mind when he is attacked at night e.g after failure to sell the pearl and after the doctors visit. Kino ends up losing his Canoe(a hole is made), His house(burned down) and his only son is shot dead.

Conclusion The pearl which was a source of hope for Kino ends up causing him pain as illustrated in the points above

31. Referring to specific instances in Steinbeck’s The Pearl, write an essay to show that Juana exemplifies reason in whatever challenge she finds herself in.

Juana exemplifies reason in whichever challenge she finds herself in. Introduction When faced with any challenge Juana turns out to be reasonable and her actions in such situations help to assuage/remedy/ help family. (Accept any other relevant introduction) 2marks

ILLUSTRATIONS

  • When Coyotito is stung by the scorpion Juana asks that they call the doctor and when she learns that the doctor would not come, she asks that they go to him. Even when the doctor turns them away, she goes to see from where she makes poultice from the sea weeds with which she treats the scorpion bite Pp. 23-29; 31-33
  • She advises Kino to do away with the pearl because it portends evil for them as the family. Even though Kino refuses, she turns out to be correct because it the pearl that sets even their neighbours against them making them flee from La Puz after their house is set on fire. Pp. 59-60. 78-80; 87-92
  • Even after being badly beaten by Kino for attempting to throw away the pearl,Juana reasons that she still needs Kino despite his brutality. She argues that beating her was an act Kino committed without much thought. she collects herself and returns to Kino and helps the family flee from the marauding ferocious neighbours. Pp. 83- 85
  • When there is a threat of imminent attack from the trackers, Juana comes out to advise Kino against going to attack them in white clothes for he word be spotted from far. Kino then changes the clothes. He manages to kills all the trackers and takes their rifle. Pp.112-114 (Accept any 4 well illustrated points. Mark 4;4;4;4. TOTAL 12 Marks)

Conclusion A united family will always stand strong against any storm. (Accept any other valid conclusion) 2 marks

32. The pearl of the world arouses the destructive power of greed.' To what extent do you agree with this statement? Base your arguments on The Pearl by John Steinbeck.

Introduction The pearl of the world arouses greed in the Kino, the doctor, the priest and the people of La Paz. Everyone begins to plan their life around the pearl even though it belongs to Kino. They want a piece of it. Kino wants to get more for his pearl than the pearl buyers are offering.

Illustrations

  • The pearl of the world arouses destructive power of greed. Everyone wants a piece of the pearl. The doctor at first refuses to treat the baby because Kino cannot afford to pay him. Later when he hears about the pearl, he even says he is the baby's doctor. Moreover, he poisons the baby just so he can get more money.
  • The priest visits Kino when he hears of the pearl. The church needs some repairs and he can get money from Kino. He tells him to remember to thank God and probably give a portion of the money from the pearl as thanksgiving. He also wants to preside over Kino and Juana’s wedding and baptize Coyotito.
  • The pearl buyers want to pay very little money for a pearl they know is worth so much. They operate as different agents though they are under one person so as to maximize on the profits. Kino is attacked by thieves at his house as they too want the pearl of the world. When they do not get it, they put a hole in his canoe and burn his house.
  • Kino is liked and people say his wife is good. They hope the pearl will not change him, but it does. When Juana thinks it has brought evil and she wants to throw it into the sea, Kino slaps her, kicks her in the side and he is angry with her. He guards the pearl with all he has, and even injures a man and kills another. Later Kino wants to go to the city to sell the pearl for a better price and get more money. In the process he kills three men who are tracking him to take the pearl. In the process, the baby gets shot and dies.

Conclusion Kino is changed by the pearl because he only sees what it can do for him. He fails to realize the most important thing in his life is his family and, in the end, his greed destroys him.

33. “One’s negative personality can be the cause of their downfall.” Referring to Kino in John Steinbeck’s The Pearl write an easy to justify this assertion.

(The candidate is expected to develop the two parts of the question adequately PERSONALITY and DOWNFALL; giving clear textual details to score a fair and full. For merely mentioning any one part, award thin.)

Introduction Kino’s greedy, violent, chauvinistic and over-ambitious natures are some of the personalities that makes not only him but the family suffer. This is discussed herein.

  • Coyotitos death Due to over-ambition, Kino loses his son Coyotito. When Kino finds the pearl his desire to change his life blinds him. He hopes to take Coyotito to school. He says that his son will go to school and learn writing. That he will know and they will know through him. They will be free. Even when he suffers attacks and physical pain because of the pearl his ambition clouds his reasoning. He refuses to let go off the pearl. He flees the village with Juana and Coyotito with a view to protect and sell his pearl, hoping to use the funds to educate his son. Coyotito is killed by one of the 3 trackers at the mountains as they were fleeing to the north. Kino suffers the pain of losing his only son. (Kino’s wild thoughts of the great achievements after finding the pearl MUST be clearly explored; not mentioned for a candidate to score beyond a thin)
  • Physical pain Kino’s cruelty makes him suffer physical pain because of the pearl. Kino suffers attack after attack. He is determined to get his hands on new material possession. He suffers in the process. When someone tries to steal his pearl, he injures his forehead while trying to protect it. It his sole hope of new wealth. The night they came from the dealers, Kino is attacked outside his hut and slashed. There is a deep cut on his cheek from his ear to his chin. Juana pleads with him to get rid of the evil pearl but he refuses since is so ambitious to give Coyotito education and to acquire wealth. He is attacked again after striking Juana. He manages to kill the man but is left with injuries. Too much ambition causes pain. (To score beyond a thin, a candidate MUST clearly describe any one episode that Kino acts cruelly.)
  • Cold relationship Because of his chauvinistic nature, Kino would do anything to protect his pearl and acquire wealth. Juana suffers this violent nature when she tries to throw the pearl away. He strikes Juana in the face with a clenched fist. She falls among the boulders. He then kicks her in the side. This destroys their peaceful co-existence as a poor but happy (contended) family. This is despite Juana’s constant plea with him to destroy the pearl or throw it back to the sea for it was evil – It will destroy us all. P59-60 Disregarding Juana’s advice, he says he is a man. (To go beyond a thin, the candidate MUST describe Kino’s insistence that he is a man and disregard for Juana’s counsel)
  • Pearl buyers Kino being naïve in matters about value of the pearl made him not to know how to bargain for the real value of the pearl. Kino supposed the pearl buyers were individuals acting alone, bidding against one another for the pearls the fishermen brought in. little does he know there was only one pearl buyer with many hands. Little was it known to him that the price had been agreed upon. P64-76 (To score beyond a thin, the candidate MUST describe the one pearl buyer synchrony giving clear textual details)
  • Resist views Kino’s racist views make him hate the doctor even before he presents his case. He thought that the doctor was not of his people. He was of the race that for nearly four hundred years had beaten and starved and robbed and despised his race. (p26)He suffers self-inflicted pain when he thinks of the doctor as belonging to that other race. He struck the gate a crushing blow with his fist – his knuckles split and blood flowed down between his fingers. P29

(To move beyond a thin, the candidate MUST contextually describe Kinos hatred of the doctor.)

Conclusion To sum up, Kino’s greedy excessive ambition causes pain/misery/suffering.

34. Great expectations make frustrated men”. Using illustrations from the novel write an essay supporting this statement.

Introduction Kino is a man with great expectations that eventually makes it impossible to make a success of his life. He expects so much from the pearl and in the end making him frustrated. (2mks) (Accept any other valid introduction)

  • Kino is obsessive, the fact that the doctor refuses to see his sick child because he is poor, makes Kino obsessed with the thought of getting the Pearl. “ That might be that would make him a man again, a man capable of feeding and protecting his family. Hence when he comes into possession of the Pearl, he simply won’t let go, whatever the price he has to pay to keep it. The first time he is injured, his wife begs him to get rid of it, but he will hear none of it. He flatly refuses to part with his fortune even when the wife juana tells him the thing is evil and would destroy them. He eventually kills to keep the Pearl and it is only after his son Coyotito is killed that he agrees to throw it back to the sea.
  • Kino stubbornly faces and confronts mountains of danger cost against him. He lacks the caution, the reason and the sense of self preservation. He adamantly rejects the counsel of his wife and actually turns violent and assaults her when she tries to get rid of the Pearl. In the end his expectations make him condemn his family to misery.
  • The doctor also demonstrates self- interest. When the Kinos take their sick child to him, he refuses to treat him as he claims he has no time to treat “little Indians; He asks his servant whether they have money and when the answer is negative, he feels him to report that he has to go somewhere urgently. The doctor changes tune when the news of Kino’s sudden fortune reaches him, he visits them in their brush house. The doctor administers fake treatment by feeding the child with something poisonous. When he comes back in an hour’s time to correct the deliberate damage he has done in the treatment he tricks Kino into revealing where he has buried the Pearl. To the doctor, the Pearl is a ticket to a luxurious life in Paris. However, his attempts to get the Pearl are not successful hence making him a frustrated man.
  • The priest in the church too has self interest as the rest. Apparently he cannot preside over Kino’s betrothal to Juana because they are and can’t afford the wedding. When the family discovers the Pearl, he even has time to visit them in their humble brush house. In his mind he wants to carry out repairs in the church. He reminds them of the need to thank the giver of their good fortune. He never forgets to remind his servants of the need to be satisfied with their humble circumstances, to hold first as destined by God. His intention is to subdue and make them accept their continued subjugation. He however becomes frustrated when the Pearl does not meet his expectations.
  • The pearl dealers too have great expectations when news of the Pearl reaches them. We have been told that twice the Indian Pearl fishers have tried to attempt to break the yoke of greedy Pearl dealers when they heard of Kino’s Pearl they collude to cheat him of the true value of the Pearl. They are later on frustrated when Kino refuses their offer and decides to go to the capital for a better price.

Accept any4 well illustrated parts. Mark 3:3:3:3

Conclusion In a nutshell can deduced that great expectation will obviously make frustrated men as illustrated above. (Accept any valid conclusion). (2mks)

35. Drawing illustrations from the story of Kino Steinbeck’s The Pearl, write a composition to show that sometimes human strive and struggle can be an effort in futility.

INTERPRETATION: One may put a lot of efforts in trying to change his/her status but all that work may be vain.

Introduction Many time people invest a lot of time and resources in certain things with the hope that it would change their outlook but their efforts may not yield anything tangible. (Accept any other relevant introduction) 2marks

  • Kino goes into great lengths to search for the pearl in the hope that it would help bridge social barriers that the society has created. He goes to the sea, pushes the canoe on the sea, dives, sifts the oysters. Finally he lands on the great pearl of the world. With it he hopes to change his life completely. Instead of bringing good tidings, the pearl ushers him into the labyrinth of suffering. 28-29; 31-36. 41-44
  • Kino walks to the pearl dealers in an effort to sell the pearl but fails to get the right price for the pearl. He visits the first, second and third dealer before and fails to agree on the price. He walks back home and decides that he would go to the capital and fetch a better price for his pearl.Pp 63-75
  • Kino does everything to defend the pearl and in the process lands himself in greater agonies. He is hurts from ear to chin, beats up Juana who attempted to dispose of the pearl, kills a man who attempts to snatch the pearl from him. Because he has killed, he ends up losing his property; house and canoe. P.78-80; 83-87
  • Kino flees to the northern mountains hoping to keep his pearl safe. He chooses a covert as hide-out but soon realizes that it is unsafe. He decides to move deeper into the mountains. While on flight he is hyper- conscious, carries a knife, endures a mountainous rugged terrain to secure his pearl. Pp. 90-92;95-100; 102-105 106-110
  • Kino decides to attack the trackers before they could attack him. He manages to kill all of them but in the end loses his only child to a stray bullet. The death of Coyotito makes Kino efforts vain for henceforth he sees the pearl as worthless and together with his wife, the trudge back to La Paz and cast the pearl back into the sea. All his efforts have ended up in nothing. Pp.110-118 (Accept any 4 well illustrated points. Mark 4;4;4;4. Total 12marks Grammar and presentation 4marks

Kino’s efforts to change his socio-economic status using the pearl turn out to be an effort in futility. (Accept any other valid conclusion) 2marks

36. “Juana’s steadfast spirit makes her a pillar of strength in her family.” Justify this statement using “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck.

Accept any relevant introduction (2 mks)

  • Juana as an ideal wife who supports her spouse under all cirmstances.
  • She is dutiful and treasures her family.
  • When coyotito is bitten by a scorpion, she springs to the baby to suck the poison from his wound.
  • She prays to the virgin Mary and some gods.
  • She suggests they go to the doctor if he can not come to them.
  • When she senses the Pearl may be behind their woes, she urges Kino to get rod of it because it is evil. “This Pearl is like sin!, it will destroy us! (Pg. 59)
  • She is more enduring than Kino – she could arch her back in a child pain, with hardly a cry, could stand fatigue & hunger.
  • In the canoe she was a strong woman
  • She is decisive and determined as a fierce lioness.
  • When the doctor declines to treat Coyotito she accompanies Kino to the sea to search for Pearl.
  • She was determined to get a solution…. Finally they found the greatest Pearl of the world.
  • She is rational and sensible – she tries to throw the Pearl in the sea because it is evil.
  • She is Religious and Prayerful. Prays for her husband and child. Maybe it is her prayers that lead to the recovery of their son and discovery of the greatest Pearl.
  • She is strong – willed – she accompanies Kino to the city to sell the Pearl with trackers following behind.
  • She is assertive a trait that was not used with her earlier.
  • Supporting – walks beside her husband with Coyotito dies.
  • Her strong will and steadfast spirit hold her family together.
  • Her great love and commitment to the family is seen when she helps Kino on his feet, takes him to the house before wiping blood from his face when he was attacked at night.
  • Her strength, loyalty, obedience and courage makes her a strong pillar for her family.

Accept any other relevant point and conclusion. (2 mks)

37. “Without Coyotito, there would be no story to tell.” Discuss the validity of this statement showing the role Coyotito plays in various incidences that unfold in John Steinbeck’s story. (20 marks)

  • It is only when Coyotito is stung by a scorpion that a true revelation of the doctor as discriminative and racist comes to the surface. The doctor refuses to treat the baby because Kino is an Indian and is poor.
  • It is also through Coyotito that the priest is portrayed as materialistic. When he learns that Kino has found a great pearl he questions whether the baby had been baptized. This is because he expects to be paid if he were to carry out the baptism
  • The doctor’s hypocrisy and greed is laid bare through Coyotito. When he learns that Kino has found the great pearl he changes tack and visits Kino in his brush house. He gives the wrong medication.
  • Kino’s resolve to guard the pearl revolves around his great interest in securing Coyotito’s education.
  • When Coyotito is accidentally, shot by a tracker, Kino throws the pearl into the sea, realizing that it’s more trouble than it’s worth. (20 marks)

38. Drawing illustrations from the story of Kino Steinbeck’s The Pearl, write a composition to show that sometimes human endeavor can be an effort in futility.

Introduction Many time people invest a lot of time and resources in certain things with the hope that it would change their outlook but their efforts may not yield anything tangible. (Accept any other relevant introduction) 2marks ILLUSTRATIONS

  • Kino walks to the pearl dealers in an effort to sell the pearl but fails to get the right price for the pearl. He visits the first, second and third dealer before and fails to agree on the price. He walks back home and decides that he would go to the capital and fetch a better price for his pearl. Pp 63-75

Conclusion Kino’s efforts to change his socio-economic status using the pearl turn out to be an effort in futility. (Accept any other valid conclusion) 2marks

39. ‘The society has lost its moral values: using the Pearl by John Steinbeck. For your illustrations show the truth of the above statement.

INTRODUCTIONS (2MKS) Accept - General introduction or contextual introduction

BODY (12MK)

  • Greed When Kino gets the pearl, people are greedy to either have the pearl or the money when the Pearl is sold. The priest thinks about the church repairs. He also wonders how much the Pearl is worth. He tells Kino to give thanks to one who has given him the treasure. All this translates to him getting part of the money when the Pearl is sold.
  • Materialism Kino guards the pearl with all the energy including killing several people who attempt to steal it from him. When Juana wants to throw away the Pearl, he slaps and kicks her. The pearl buyers’ are materialistic. They offer the least to Kino to maximize on the profit they make once they sell the pearl.
  • Hypocrisy The doctor is hypocrital. When Kino and Juana take Coyotito for treatment at his house, he sends the servant informing them he is not in because they have no money. When he learns about the pearl, he visits Kino and offers to treat Coyotito and wait for money. The reason why he is ready to treat him is because there is hope for money once the pearl is sold.
  • The doctor is interested in the money than the lives of the poor villages
  • The priest also exploits his congregation when he learns about the pearl, he thinks about whether he had married them in church and the repair the church needs.
  • The pearl buyers exploit the buyers by buying their pearls at a lower price than the actual.
  • They conspire to cheat Kino off his pearl.
  • Kino attacks Juana who wants to throw back the pearl to the sea.
  • The three trackers carry weapons of war. It ends in Coyotito’s death. Any other plausible answer

Conclusion (2mks) NB: the essay should be written in continuous prose. Language (4 marks)

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Essay Samples on The Pearl

Imagery and character analysis in the pearl.

In the very beginning of the book, Kino watches as his son, Coyotio sleeps. While he is sleeping, Coyotito is stung by a scorpion despite Kino’s efforts to catch it and kill it. They go to the doctor to get Kino treated for the sting...

  • Character Analysis
  • Imagery in Literature

The Theme Of Group Behavior In The Pearl By John Steinbeck

The article is a study exploring the pattern of group activity in John The Pearl's novel. There's a major influence on other individuals from Stein show group behavior. We are the long-term basis of human life. Steinbeck's group-man theory is based on Darwinian interpretation of...

  • John Steinbeck

Theme of Greed in John Steinbeck’s Novel The Pearl and Jack London's Story A Piece of Steak

In John Steinbeck’s realistic fiction novel, The Pearl, Kino drastically changes his life when he finds a pearl of great value. Local authors, Jack London and John Steinbeck, both use greed, murder, and poverty in different ways to express their themes. Greed is a theme...

John Steinbeck's The Pearl Through the Prism of New Formalism

Using the New Formalism as a lens to analyze Pearls, the reader can see that Steinbeck uses images, symbols and music to develop a theme according to which luck can lead people with good intentions to the path of evil and negative. In modern society,...

  • The New Deal

John Steinbeck: Literary Works, Life and People Who Inspired Him

Recurring Ideas in Of Mice and Men, Travels With Charley, and The Pearl The Desire to Escape One recurring theme that is displayed in Of Mice and Men, Travels With Charley, and The Pearl is the desire to escape, which causes the characters to venture...

  • Literature Review

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PEARL ESSAYS &ANSWERS SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

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THIS IS PEARL ESSAYS &ANSWERS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

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This paper discusses the theoretical background and some of the results of an interdisciplinary, cognitive-science research project on the comprehension of narrative text. The unifying theme of our work has been the notion of a deictic center: a mental model of spatial, temporal, and character information contributed by the reader of the narrative and used by the reader in understanding the narrative. We examine the deictic center in the light of our investigations from the viewpoints of linguistics, cognitive psychology, individual differences (language pathol- ogy), literary theory of narrative, and artificial intelligence.

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Between 1945 and 1947 Emilio Fernandez, the director ofclassics like Maria Candelaria (1943a) and Flor Silvestre (1943b) and Mexico's most significant auteur, made two films with Hollywood studio RKO: La perla/ Pearl (l946a) and The Fugitive (Ford1948a). Through analysis of these films and their production context,as well as insights gained from the production files, this article will attempt to shed new light on the role Fernandez and these inter-American films played both in Hollywood's postwar mission in the United States, Mexico and Latin America and in Mexico's own national industry.

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  1. The Pearl: Suggested Essay Topics

    Suggested Essay Topics. 1. How does the novella's conclusion complete Steinbeck's moral argument? Could the novella have ended in any other way? Is it wise of Kino to throw the pearl back into the sea, or should he have searched for another option? 2. What role does family play in The Pearl?

  2. THE PEARL ESSAY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

    THE PEARL ESSAY QUESTION Write a composition to show the evil nature of greed basing your illustrations on John Steinbeck's The Pearl. (20 Marks) THE PEARL ESSAY QUESTION Write an essay to show how luck brings bitter friends citing illustrations from John Steinbeck's The Pearl .(20 Marks) THE PEARL ESSAY QUESTION Contentment is the key to ...

  3. 74 The Pearl Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

    Love and Death in "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck. He shouts his good fortune to his fellow divers, and before he reaches home, the news is already known to the inhabitants of the village and the town, including the priest and the doctor. We will write. a custom essay specifically for you by our professional experts.

  4. Essay Questions

    Study Help Essay Questions. 1. Discuss the various animal imagery that functions throughout the novel: the ants, the scorpion, the hissing snakes, the schools of fish, the oysters, the dogs, and the pearl buyers as octopuses, etc. 2. Describe in detail Kino and Juana's simple life before and after the discovery of the pearl.

  5. The Pearl Essay Topics

    Thanks for exploring this SuperSummary Study Guide of "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck. A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.

  6. The Pearl: Study Guide

    The Pearl is a captivating novella by Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck that originally appeared in the magazine Woman's Home Companion in 1945 under the title "The Pearl of the World" and was then published as a book in 1947.The novella is set against the backdrop of the small Mexican village of La Paz. The story follows Kino, a humble pearl diver, and his wife, Juana.

  7. The Pearl Questions and Answers

    What is your interpretation of this quote from The Pearl: "The thin dog came to him and threshed itself in greeting like a wind-blown flag . . . ."? The Pearl Questions and Answers - Discover the ...

  8. The Pearl Study Guide

    The Pearl Questions and Answers. The Question and Answer section for The Pearl is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. chapter 4-other pearl divers-fishermen ... Essays for The Pearl. The Pearl literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide ...

  9. The Pearl Critical Essays

    The long term critical reputation of John Steinbeck rises and falls on the relevance and apparent ability evinced in his greatest two novels, Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath. However, his ...

  10. The Pearl Essays and Criticism

    The Literal and Symbolic in The Pearl. PDF Cite. Perhaps the most outspoken cntic of The Pearl has been Warren French, who criticized author John Steinbeck for using a traditional tale (the legend ...

  11. English 8th grade The Pearl Essay Practice Questions

    The role of fate looms large in Kino's undoing in two ways. First, Kino's downfall is incited by his accidental, divinely appointed discovery of the pearl. Second, Kino's status as an impoverished fisherman who lives under the burden of colonial oppression also creates the sense that his tragedy is decreed by fate.

  12. The Pearl Essay Questions with Answers

    Exam Style Pearl Essays Questions and Answers. Below are essays with answers from The Pearl Set Text. These test questions and answers are the type that are set in the national exams, with ways of how to answer and description.

  13. The Pearl: Mini Essays

    The role of fate looms large in Kino's undoing in two ways. First, Kino's downfall is incited by his accidental, divinely appointed discovery of the pearl. Second, Kino's status as an impoverished fisherman who lives under the burden of colonial oppression also creates the sense that his tragedy is decreed by fate.

  14. PDF The Pearl by John Steinbeck: Unit Overview

    The Pearl The Pearl - Literature Guide As you read The Pearl, complete the following questions. These questions will help you remember and reflect on important plot and literary elements/techniques from the reading, so that your analysis is more in-depth. The story is simple, but because it is an allegory, there is deeper meaning at every turn.

  15. The pearl essay questions Flashcards

    The pearl essay questions. Term. 1 / 9. race the symbolism of the pearl throughout the novel. what various things does the pearl symbolize? what does it mean to Kino at different stages of the novel? what does it mean to different members of the community? Click the card to flip 👆.

  16. The Pearl Summary

    The Pearl is a short novel by John Steinbeck in which Kino attempts to pay for his son's medical bills with a valuable pearl. However, the pearl attracts the greed of others, who pursue Kino in ...

  17. Essay on the Pearl

    The Pearl. The Pearl is a novella by the author, John Steinbeck. The genre of this book is fiction parable. The theme is that greed can lead to a dark ending. The major conflicts in this story are man vs. man, man vs. nature, and man vs. society. The point of view is in third person.

  18. The Pearl by John Steinbeck Essay Samples for Students on

    Imagery And Character Analysis In The Pearl. 2. The Theme Of Group Behavior In The Pearl By John Steinbeck. 3. Theme of Greed in John Steinbeck's Novel The Pearl and Jack London's Story A Piece of Steak. 4. John Steinbeck's The Pearl Through the Prism of New Formalism. 5. John Steinbeck: Literary Works, Life and People Who Inspired Him

  19. (Pdf) Pearl Essays &Answers Secondary School Students and University

    THIS IS PEARL ESSAYS &ANSWERS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS . × ... Introduction (2mks) Should be general or contextualized Candidate to show understanding of the question Discourage definitions/ paraphrasing the question. Body (12 marks) Greed When Kino gets the pearl, people are greedy to either have the pearl or the ...

  20. THE Pearl Essay Questions

    THE PEARL SAMPLE ESSAY QUESTIONS. THE PEARL ESSAY QUESTION 1. Appearance can be deceptive. Write an essay to validate this statement basing your argument on John Steinbeck's The Pearl. ( Marks) Things are not always as they seem. The outward appearance of someone or something may conceal their true nature or intentions.

  21. The Pearl: Full Book Quiz: Quick Quiz

    How does Kino decide to make money when he realizes that the local pearl dealers are lowballing him? By panhandling and singing for money. By stockpiling all the pearls of La Paz. By traveling to the capital to sell his pearl. By filing a lawsuit against the dealers according to the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of.

  22. The Pearl: Important Quotes Explained

    Important Quotes Explained. "In the town they tell the story of the great pearl—how it was found and how it was lost again. They tell of Kino, the fisherman, and of his wife, Juana, and of the baby, Coyotito. And because the story has been told so often, it has taken root in every man's mind.