Lesson 1: Context and Prereading for the Pearl

​Understanding The Pearl

At your own pace, read the following passages and complete the questions and activities to help build your knowledge of the context behind Steinbeck's novella "The Pearl". We will be using this knowledge to help drive class discussion and to understand the deeper meanings and themes of the story.

John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck (1902 - 1968) is one of the American "literary greats". Unlike many writers who focused on catering to the rich and powerful, Steinbeck dedicated his career to telling the stories of ordinary, struggling people. He had a deep compassion for the working class, migrant families and farmers who were often ignored by society.

His most famous novel, The Grapes of Wrath, is about a family displaced by the Great Depression. These characters are shown fighting for survival in a world where the odds are stacked against them. Steinbeck wasn't just telling stories: he was a social critic, who used his writing to explore the injustice in American society. He believed in the strength of community and warned against the dangers of greed and selfishness.

His writing style is known for being clear and direct, with the messages behind his novels being relatively simple to interpret. He often uses symbolism (where an object or person represents a larger idea) to help add depth to his stories.

Multiple Choice

What kind of people did Steinbeck often write about?

• Upper class and wealthy individuals

• Middle America

• Working class and migrant communities

Open Ended

What do you think a social critic does?

Is their role in society important?

Open Ended

Prediction: Based on what you have learned about Steinbeck in this passage, what topics or themes do you think he would tackle in a story about a poor pearl diver?

• Simple Plot

• Characters often symbolize bigger ideas e.g. "good vs. evil"

• The story has a clear moral lesson

​Key Features

A parable is a short, simple story that is designed to teach a universal moral or spiritual lesson.


What other parable have you read so far this year?

Like an allegory

What is a Parable?

Open Ended

In your own words, describe the main purpose of a parable (or allegory).

Fill in the Blank

Previously, we read the allegory (parable) of ___ _____ _____ by Oscar Wilde.

Open Ended

What was the moral of The Happy Prince?

​The Pearl

The Pearl follows the life of a poor fisherman, Kino, who discovers a magnificent pearl that promises to save his family from poverty and allow him to pay a doctor to treat his poisoned son.

Instead the pearl unleashes the greed of his entire community, unleashing a destructive curse in the form of envious townspeople who all seek to steal his treasure.

As the dream of wealth corrupts Kino himself, his family is forced to flee, leaing to a devastating tragedy that reveals the pearl's true cost.

Simply put, it is a story of Hope, Greed and Tragedy.

Steinbeck based The Pearl on a Mexican folk-tale that he heard whilst he was travelling. It is meant to feel like a fable that has been passed down through the generations.

In the early 1500s, Spanish conquistadors, led by Cortes, arrived in Mexico. They conquered the indigenous people and imposed a new government and rigid racial and social hierarchy known as the caste system. This was categorized into t

Colonialism & Exploitation

Peninsulares: Spanish natives, who held the highest positions in the government and church.

Criollos: People of 'pure' Spanish descent born in the Americas. Often wealthy.

Mestizos: People of mixed spanish and Indigenous ancestry.

Indigenous People: The natives of Mexico, were forced into labour and were at the bottom of the social pecking order.

This is relevant for the Pearl, as these social and economic structures established during colonization were deeply ingrained into Mexican society. The power imbalance Kino faces in the story is a direct legacy of this colonial history.

A group of people who live in brush huts and predominantly work as pearl divers or fisherman. They are deeply connected to nature and their cultural traditions.

They are often viewed as inferior by the ruling class.

​​The Natives

Includes the doctor, the priest and the pearl buyers.

They live in stone houses (European) and each of the professions represent one of the European institutions that are typically controlled in colonial states (medicine, religion and commerce).

They hold all the economic and political power.

The Ruling Class

Open Ended

Describe the two different groups of people that exist in the town of La Paz (in the story)

Multiple Choice

Which of these groups would have the most power in Mexico?

• Peninsulares

• Indigenous People

• Criollos

• Mestizos

The pearl trade was particularly exploitative. Pearl buyers often worked for one main company, and as a consequence of the monopoly that existed, the buyers conspired to offer low prices to the divers. This meant that no matter how valuable a pearl was found by the diver, he would never be offered a fair price, thus trapping him and his community in poverty.

​

Open Ended

How was the pearl trade "exploitative" of the divers?

Kino and his people have a unique way of seeing the world, which Steinbeck expresses through metaphorical songs. These are an internal soundtrack that defines their experience within the story.

Symbolizes danger and the threat of the unknown. It is the sound of something that threatens to destroy the family's peace.

The Song of Evil

This is a song of safety, warmth and love. It is the sound of Juana making breakfast, of Coyotito sleeping and of Kino's family living a harmonious life.

The Song of Family

​Topic	Key Ideas​	​My Prediction for The Pearl
​Steinbeck's Themes	Social Injustice + The struggles of the poor.​	​I think the story will show how Kino, an indigenous Mexican, is treated unfairly by the colonial stems in place.
​The Parable (The Pearl)	​Symbolic characters and a clear moral lesson	​I think the pearl will symbolize... The ending of the tale will teach readers...
​Colonialism	Two-class system; Powerful rulers vs. exploited natives.​	​I think the Doctor, Priest and Pearl buyers will try to _____ Kino. Kino [will/won't] be able to stop them.
​Kino's Worldview and the Spirituality of Mexican Culture	The Song of Family vs.	​I think that when Kino finds the pearl he will hear the Song of ____ because...

​Now that you have gathered the context, complete this graphic organizer to make predictions about The Pearl.