Laura

Renteria

Luis Carlos

Roa

Juanita

Munoz 

1.  Kino’s changing character

• Find evidence of Kino’s changing character on pages 58/9.  What does he do?  Find verbs and adjectives that describe his actions and changing personality.  What is he being compared to?  How does Juana see him?

Kino noticed Juana was going to throw away the pearl. He followed her and hit her to forestall what she was going to do. The author describes him as an angry and raging person, but after he hits Juana he becomes kind of dull. We are also told he was "half insane and half god". He is compared to a snake ("He hissed at her like a snake").

Juana seems to be unfrightened and resigned to the fact that Kino was acting this way ("There was no anger in her for Kino").

I agree with you. I think after Kino hit Juana, Kino felt disgustinged about with himself and regretted hitting her. When he found she was going to throw away the pearl, he lost control of his temper. It happened too suddenly. Kino was upset but Juana was really calm. She accepted it because she knew that he would be very angry and he deserve it. Also, she knew she needed him and he needed her. (Yuri Nakano)

• Look for further descriptions of Kino’s character on pages 61, 62, 63, 66, and 67.  Why has Kino changed?  What is the author trying to say through this change?

He had rage, fear, and he was careful and worried about his family and the pearl. What this means is that the pearl becomes a very important part in Kino’s life, and he changes because of this. The pearl becomes the symbol of hope, but for Kino the simple thought of loosing this hope was unbearable. He wanted to change his life so badly, and the pearl was the only way to do it, that he crossed most of human barriers like killing a person because he though that he was stealing the pearl. 

I totally agree with what you are saying. Kino was a very caring guy who´s main interest or preoccupation was his family. Kino had a cycling (???) but peaceful life. He was happy until he found the pearl, that gave him some happiness for a while, but it wouldn´t last that much because the pearl made him an insecure, angry, careless and cold person. “Luck brings bitter fiends”, once again we can tell that this is true due to the fact that Kino had luck finding the pearl, but his life became a disaster after he found it, because he changed into a totally different man. If he didn´t find the pearl, he probably wouldn´thave killed someone. It´s just incredible the way Kino changed in order to be capable of killing another human being just because of his desire of having a "better" life.                     

                                                           Juan Diego Ortiz

I think Kino has changed due to two facts: he first one is the pearl and the second one is his family. As it happens in the reality the author portraits it in the book how problems always come out when money appears. Kino has to protected the pearl from those who wants to stoleeal it even if he has to kill for that pearl. The pearl means hope for he him and his family so he won't let it go so easy. The author here is portraying two important aspects that are: how someone will fight for those who he/she wants and how we are willing to fight for that we want most in life. It is clearly shown in the change of attitude of Kino, but it may refer also to the change of attitude of a person when it he/she becomes rich. The rich become greedy and they want more and more. They start to think just in about money and no more. I think  that is what the author wants to portraity with Kino and his attitude change.

(Sergio Puentes)

Very nice explanation guys. Undoubtfully, the pearI becomes the symbol of hope, most of all of a hope for an education for Coyotito. I totally agree with what you said about the feelings Kino has. However, the last part is not very clear about who is stealing the pearl. 

(Tania Ormaza)

• What is meant by this quotation?
  “The canoe of his grandfather, plastered over and over, had a splintered hole broken in it.  This was an evil beyond thinking. The killing of a man was not so evil as the killing of a boat.”

It might refer to two main aspects. The first one can be related to the sentimantal value that Kino feel for the canoe, as As it was from his grandpa maybe it can have something symbolic for Kino. The second aspect we think it is refer to the economical support, as the canoe is the only way Kino can work to support economicaly his family.

Your two main points are very true, but I think you should have included a third one. “The killing of a man was not so evil as the killing of a boat” (Steinbeck, p). In this citation the author gives us an excuse for Kino’s act of killing a man. This is the third missing element. When Kino kills a man he does it because he thought that his pearl had been stolen. In this passage the author assures asserts that that sentimental value Kino had for the canoe had gone beyond reason, because he went mad when he killed a person and for the author this is fine and justifiable. (Juanita Munoz)

Good! 

What does the reference to "half god" mean?

Yuri, what do you mean "he deserved it?"

Yes, she was very realistic in her assessment.

Good characterization!

Good description of Kino's character development, Juan Diego!  Well written, too!

Sergio, you explain the two aspects very well, and indeed, that is what the author is portraying here.  The pearl is a "double-edged sword" as we said.  It represents good and evil. 

The canoe means both of these!  It is the livelihood of the family. "Economical" and "economic mean two different things!  "Economical" means cheap.  Here you need "economic" to express the meaning of earning a living.

Nice Juanita, but the boat stands for survival, so the above explanation is right on.  The canoe is more than a sentimental thing.

2.  The attackers

Kino is being attacked on page 59 and 60 and another incident occurs on page 63.  Explain what happened in both instances.  How are the attackers described?  Why does the author keep them anonymous?

1. Kino stabbed and killed the guy who attacked him.
2. Kino’s house was burned.

The attackers were described as frantic figures, with greedy fingers. They were also called the dark ones or the dark figures.

 He kept them anonymous because they don’t represent someone in special but many people who felt envy towards Kino or wanted to steal Kino’s pearl.

Good

Right

Excellent interpretation!

Juan Diego Ortiz

Tania Ormaza

Yuri Nakano 

Ayaka Ohira

&

Camila Pinzon 

3.  Juana’s character

A.  How is Juana’s character changing?  Find evidence on pages 59, 61.

She was obedient and supportive with Kino. As she has realized the damage the pearl caused, she changed her attitude.

She decided to throw away the pearl because she wanted to protect her family.

She became stronger. She had been trying to rescue something of the old peace, of the time before they got the pearl but as she knew that it is impossible, she abandoned it.

(Camila Pinzon)

As she is a mother, she wants the protection and the happiness for her family. Juana's acttitude is changing because she realized that the pearl has more power than she her. I mean, Kino preferred the pearl instead of prefering his family protection, so she became overconfindent and she didn't care anymore about the pearl. She blew the caution away.

(Nahoko Iijima)

As Kino got the pearl, she was pleased, as was well as Kino. As you know, that is because she thought that the pearl brought her family "hope." However, unexpected happenings occuurred one after another, and her family wasere involved in danger. Moreover, Kino was absorbed in the pearl and he could not think around him critically, so that she made up her mind to protect her family from the danger. She became aware of what should she do as a mother and a wife.

B.  What is meant by these quotations?  What happened?

“ Now, in an instant, Juana knew that the old life was gone forever.” (p. 60)

Juana just realized that their entire world had changed just because of the pearl. she realized this due to the attitude changes from Kino and all the people that sorrund them. She also takes into account that as almost everyone in the village wants the pearl, they have to escape and continue changing thair life style. As in the original sin when Adamn took the apple from the forbbiden tree, they are punished, they become mortals that commit make mistakes, they lost their innocence, and they are thrwon aout of paradise. Something similar is happening to Juana's family.

(Laura Renteria) I agree with your point of view. We can see how Juana is resigned to her fate, but still, nothing goes further than her love for Kino. She decides to stick by his side and to be the most comprehensive person she can. This way we can tell thant, different from Kino, her attitude and way of being hasn’t changed in any way after they found the pearl. She has remained loyal and faithful to Kino and her family.

I agree with you. As you say, the pearl makes Juana’s surroundings change rapidly. Because of the pearl, Kino and Juana were exposed themselves by to the enemy who tried to get the pearl, so Juana lost the peaceful life even if though they were poor. I think it is the relationship with Kino that the pearl makes Juana’s feelings think “the old life was gone forever”. Before getting the pearl, she had never thought Kino was fierce. However, after getting the pearl, she sometimes felt fear for Kino. Juana may think she feels bad about herself because she realized a certain distance between the two. I think she felt she cannot get back to her old self because it is possible to think he is scary. Therefore, she thought “the old life was gone forever.”      (Ayaka Ohira)

C.  Foreshadowing:

What is being foreshadowed by these quotations:

• “He had said, “I am a man,” and that meant certain things to Juana.  It meant that he was half insane and half god.  It meant that Kino would drive his strength against a mountain and plunge his strength against the sea.  Juana, in her woman’s soul, knew that the mountain would stand while the man broke himself: that the sea would surge while the man drowned in it.” (p. 59/50)

“I am a man.”, this sentence shows he thinks he does not lose anyone and anything that are enemy to him. The enemy is higher class people. However, his feelings may be dangerous. Because he just focuses on the enemy, he cannot see around him. These make hem wound or die. This is “certain things”. In addition, “half insane” means he worries too much about enemy, so he loses himself. Also, “the god” means god is almighty, so he thinks he can do anything. Moreover, “It meant that Kino would drive his strength against a mountain and plunge his strength against the sea.  Juana, in her woman’s soul, knew that the mountain would stand while the man broke himself: that the sea would surge while the man drowned in it” mean he try to stand up to big power. The mountain and the sea show ordeal and wall which he cannot go over to him easily. As Juana thinks Kino rather cannot overcome than does a reckless. He may lose and hurt by them. In other words, it is impossible for him to change his situation and station because the enemy is too big for him to fight against. 

• What is being said about the pearl?  Find quotations on pages 64, 66, 67 and interpret them.  

 It is said that the pearl is devilish. " There is a devil in this pearl." (Steinbeck, p. 64)

Also, Kino was possessed by the pearl so that he changed his actitude and his personality convertinged  him in toa bad, dangerous and careless man . We can notice this by Steinbeck's description of Kino's face. "his eyes were hard and cruel and bitter" ( p. 66) and also by seeing his acts.

In addition to that, the pearl obsessed Kino because he didn't want to throw away the pearl. He just wanted to have the pearl forever eventhough he was hurting others.

This pearl is affecting Kino's family, and the entire village because the evil is inside it.

(Laura Pabon)

I agree with you. I think that the pearl is devilish and it is making Kino a bad man. Also, I think that the pearl is creating a wall among Kino’s family and the town, and also, between Kino and Juana. Thus, I think the pearl is corrupting everyone because it is creating bad feelings, such as avariciouse and anger among the town, the village and the family. 

I agree, but I think that the pearl is like a sin. Maybe that is what "There is a devil in this pearl" mean. It is an amazing article but it could be said that it represents our hidden feelings, some Some of them may be covered by a "skin" on top, and those hidden feelings are the ones that are making the people in the town and Kino to act the way they were doing. Also it means that even if Kino's intentions were good (to get married by the church, Coyotitos education etc. ), still the hidden feelings will make people make do anything they need in order to accomplish their dreams even if that means to kill someone (Luis Carlos Roa)  

Excellent explanations! Well-written, too.

Good explanation, Camila.  Watch grammar and spelling.

Good explanation of Juana as mother, Nahoko.

Well said, team!  Good interpretation and nice connection to Adam and Eve and the original sin.  Please watch your spelling and grammar!

Do you mean "supportive"?

Good, Laura.  Watch the run-on sentence at the end!

Nice explanations, Ayaka.  I agree with your description of what is going on with Juana.

I'm not sure I understand your first sentence here. 

?????

This is very true!

Nicely said!

?????

I agree with your conclusion.

Excellent support.

good explanation!

Good explanation about the wall, Laura.  Corruption, indeed.

Indeed, it is. 

Good explanations, Luis Carlos.  Watch the spelling and run-on sentences.