The Pearl Book Report

Subject:

ItÒ's a story about good luck and bad luck in a poor fishermanÒ's life. The setting of the story is located in the southernmost part of California , in Mexico , near the town La Paz.

It is the story of a fisherman who found a pearl beyond price , the Pearl of the World. With the pearl, he hoped to buy peace and happiness for himself, his wife and their little son. Instead he found that peace and happiness are not to be purchased. They are, themselves, pearls beyond price.

The most important persons:

Kino: a young fisherman and pearl diver, very poor, wanted to give his wife and child new clothes, good food, a new house etc. So he had to find a big pearl, a giant pearl. He had to find it soon.

He was strong and his black hair hung over his brown forehead. His eyes were warm and fierce and bright and his moustache was thin and coarse.

Juana: KinoÒ's young wife.She had dark eyes and she was always looking at him when he awakened. She was a patient, fragile wife- but Kino often wondered at the iron will in his fragile wife. She was obedient, respectful, cheerful and patient, she could arch her back in child pain with hardly a cry. She could stand fatigue and hunger almost better than Kino himself. In the canoe she was like a strong man.

She always took Coyotito out of his hanging box and cleaned him and hammocked him in her shawl in a loop that placed him close to her breast. She sang softly an ancient song that had only three notes though endless variety of interval.

Coyotito: their baby -son , slept in a hanging box , was stung by a scorpion one morning.

Juan Toma's: KinoÒ's brother

Apolonia: His fat wife. They both had four children.

The doctor: he never came to the cluster of brush houses. Why should he, when he had more than he could do to take care of the rich people who lived in the stone and plaster houses of the town.

He was stout, his voice was hoarse with the fat that pressed on his throat. His eyes rested in puffy little hammocks of flesh and his mouth drooped with discontent. He had a red watered silk dressing gown that had come from Paris, a silver tray, a silver chocolate pot, etc.

The furnitures in his room were heavy and dark and gloomy. He had religious pictures hanging in his house, and a photograph of his dead wife.

Plot synopsis:

The fisherman Kino lived with his wife Juana and his little baby-son Coyotito in a brush hut near the Pacific coast.

One morning the baby was stung by a scorpion and it became very ill. The doctor refused to cure the baby because Kino was not able to pay.

On the same day Kino found the largest pearl he had ever seen.When the doctor had heard of the pearl, he immediately rushed to Kino. Thinking that Coyotito was well again, Kino wanted to ignore the doctor. (Kino could not stand the race to which the doctor belonged to because this race had ever been exploiting his race). But at last the doctor could persuade Kino that the poison had gone inward and would strike soon. So Kino could not take his chance and he let the doctor heal the baby.In the following night someone tried to steal the pearl but Kino expelled the late guest by hurting him.

Juana often said," Let us throw the pearl back into the sea, otherwise it will destroy us." But her husband had many wishes. With the money he would get everything. He first wanted to get married in a church,Coyotito should be baptized and later he should go to school.

Soon Kino realized that he had many enemies and from time to time he could hear "the evil song" and then he was fierce and afraid.

The morning, on which Kino wanted to sell the pearl, was the morning of mornings, only comparable to the day, when the baby was born.

All people were waiting for him to start to the pearl-buyers.KinoÒ's brother, Juan Toma's, declared him to be careful in selling the pearl, so that he would not get too little money for his treasure.

Kino stepped up to one of the pearl-buyers but he only offered one thousand pesos saying that his pearl was valueless, good enough to be exhibited in a museum, for the pearl was a curiosity.

Three other buyers were called, saying the same. But Kino realized that he was cheated and went home. The pearl buyers knew that they had played together too hard. Kino wanted to sell the pearl in another town.

One night Juana tried to throw it into the water, but her husband could save the pearl in the last moment.

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