The Pearl Study Guide

What happens when Kino awakens from his nightmare?

He hears footsteps coming from the corner of his house. Kino felt a rush of anger in him and he sheathed his knife and attacked the invader. He tried stabbing the person but the figure smashed Kinos face with a club. There was then a soft scurry in the door way, then foot steps down the stairs, and finally silence.

How is Kino awakened from his sleep?

He sees Juana get out of bed and leave the house with the Pearl.

What foolish thing does Coyotito do?

He shakes the Scorpian off the box and it stings him on his shoulder when it lands on him.

What does Juana say to Kino again about the pearl?

It is evil and it must be destroyed

What are obvious signs that the hunters would see?

It would be easy for the hunters to find the fallen leaves, whipped branches, and footsteps that were caused by Kino and Juana.

Describe Juana at this point

Juana ankles were cut and scratched from the stones and brush. Her face looked tired , but her eyes were very bright.

What does Juana say to Kino after the attack?

Juana says that the pearl will only cause more trouble. It will destroy both of them and their baby. Kino declines this idea and he looks at the pearl.

A thrid attack on Kino

KIno turns away from Juana and heads back to his house. He hears movement and in reaction, Kino gets his knife out. He stabbs the figure as he fights with him.

Where do Kino and Juana spend the night?

Kino and Juana camped out in a nearby cave on the mountain.

What does Kino and Juana dont do often?

Kino and Juana do not talk to each other often.

What does Kino and Juana see in the distance when dawn breaks?

Kino and Juana he sees fire in the distance. Kino finds to find that his house was set on fire by someone.

Where do Kino and Juana travel to go away from the hunters?

Kino and Juana headed towards the mountains, where they are going to hide in a cave from the hunters. It won't be long until the hunters have found them.

How would Kino and Juana get to the doctor?

Kino and Juana must travel through the rich part of the city.

What is Kinos reaction to this news?

Kino felt a rush of anger in him. He lets out his rage by punching the gate. he sees that he has split his knuckles and they were bleeding.

What does Kino find in the large oyster?

Kino finds a pearl. It is the size of a seegulls egg.

What materials does Kino use to dive down into the ocean to search for Oysters?

Kino had 2 ropes that were attached to a heavy stone and to a blanket. Throwing the rock in the water helps Kino to reach the Clam beds. Kino collects the oysters and puts them in the basket.

What does Kino plan to do when he couldn't sell his pearl?

Kino plans to go to the capital/ city to try to sell his pearl. Kino is scared to take this journey.

What does Kino do when he sees Juana leaving the house with his pearl?

Kino runs after Juana in anger. When Juana sees Kino chasing her, she runs as fast as she can. Juana leaped at her and caught her arm and wrenched the pearl from her hands. Kino punches Juana in the face and kicks her in the side. Kino also hisses at Juana.

What does Kino see that catches his eye when swimming underwater?

Kino sees a very large oyster lying by itself, not covered with other oysters. It had a ghostly gleam coming from the mouth of the oyster.

Kinos reaction to the Scorpian stinging Coyotio.

Kino squishes the Scorpian in his hands with some paste. Kino throws the Scorpian on the ground and smashes it to pieces when it is already dead.

What does Kino do to take care of the hunters?

Kino stabbed the hunter with the rifle and took his gun. He struck the head of the seated hunter and the 3rd hunter ran away, but slipped into the pool. He started to climb the cliff but Kino shot him and he fell backwards into the pool.

An unlucky catch

Kino tries to catch the Scorpian but it falls past his fingers when Coyotito shakes the animal insect off the box.

What does Kino do that will prevent he and his fiance from being seen from people?

Kino walks around the edge of the city and turned north, to avoid Juana and himself being noticed from the locals. They walked down a sandy road through a forest. Kino and Juana walk in a wheel rut to not make footprints on the road.

What does Kino do to his footprints?

Kino went back to the road, took a branch, and carefully swept the footprints where they had turned from the roadway.

What does Kino and Juana decide to do when everything in Kino's life was mostly gone?

Kino, Juana, and Coyotito leave their hometown to got to the capital.

Who is the main character of this story?

Kino. He is a poor man who searches for pearls.

Juana

Kinos Fiance/mate. She hopes to be married to Kino when they have enough money to marry. She also has a baby boy named Coyotito.

What does the Screams of Coyotito bring in?

Kinos brother Juan, Thomas and his fat wife Apolonia, and their 4 children.

Another attack!?

Kinos hand went into his shirt and felt his knife: his eyes were wide. Juana finds Kino laying on the ground, struggling to rise, and there was no one near him. Blood oozed down from Kino's scalp and there was a long deep cut in his cheek from ear to chin.

What does Kino people used to do, that Kino still does?

Kinos people once been great makers of songs they saw or thought to do or heard became a song.

What is the meeting with a peal buyer like for Kino?

One dealer says to Kino that his pearl is like fools gold. IT is too large. Another pearl buyer offers Kino 1,000 pesos for the pearl but Kino refuses to accept this offer. Kino knows that the dealer is ripping him off. A third pearl buyer also says that Better pearls are made of paste. Kinos pearl is soft and chalky, it will lose its color and die in a few months.

Describe when Kino and Juana see the hunters from a distance being in a cave?

That night, the hunters were visible to Kino and Juana. They had set up camp in the fields.

What does the doctor say when he came to see Coyotito's injury?

The affects of the scoripians sting will come into affect in a hour.

What is the solution to Coyotitos injury?

The baby must be taken to the doctor, even though getting his help will be unlikely.

What does the doctor do on his second visit to Kino and Juanas house?

The doc filled water in a small cup. He put 3 drops of ammonia into Coyotitos mouth. Gradually the spasms subsided.

Describe the hunters and what they did when walking on the road?

2 men were walking on the road and one was on a horse. the 3 men stop to look at the sweeping Marks Kino had made. They studied it for awhile but then continued walking. Kino knew they would be back.

What does Kino see in the Pearl?

A Vision of Coyotio sitting at a desk in school wearing a suit, him being married with Juana, having a wealthy life.

What does Kino see out of the corner of his eye in his house?

A scorpian was climbing down the rope of the hanging box where Coyotito slept. Its stinging tail hinging behind itself.

Where does Kino and Juana go when using the canoe?

A specific area that has a water bed filled with Oysters. This bed raised The King of Spain to be a great power in Europe in past years, to help pay his war debts, and had decorated the churches for soul's sake.

How is a town like a colonial animal

A town has a nervous system and a head and shoulders and feet. A town is a thing separate from all other towns. No 2 towns are alike. A town has a whole emotion.

How does Coyotito die?

Coyotito began to whimper.One hunter used his rifle to shoot whatever was making the noise. (he shoots Coyotito on the head)

What happens to Coyotito the next day?

Coyotitos face was flushed and his throat was working. The spasm of the stomach muscles began and he was sick.

Describe Kino and Juana's journey back home to La Paz after an unsuccessful trip to a city.

Everyone hurried to see them. Kino and Juana walked as if the city was not there. Kino and Juana walked past their burned down house and went to the beach. From there, he put down his rifle, took the pearl out from his clothes. He offered Juana to toss the pearl back into the ocean but she refused. Kino threw the pearl into the ocean with all of his might. When the pearl landed on the ocean's floor, the music of the pearl drifted to a whisper and disappeared.

What have men try to do but always seem to fail at this task?

For centuries, men had dived down and torn the oysters from the beds and ripped them open, looking for the pearls.

What were the citizens of La Paz like when they heard about Kino finding a pearl.

The news had spread quickly.

What makes Kino awaken from his sleep?

The next morning, Kino awakens from his sleep and senses something drawing near. 3 Hunters are on the search for Kino and Juana because to obtain Kino's Pearl.

What ironically happens when Kino finds the pearl?

The swelling was going out of his sons shoulder, the poison was leaving Coyotitos body.

What is the weather like on Kino and Juana's journey?

The wind blew fierce and strong and it threw bits of sand, rock particles. and sticks. The night was dark, starry, and muggy.

What are the citizens of La Paz like at night?

They do not sleep soundly. They awaken at intervals and talk and then go back to sleep.

who are the 4 beggers that are in front of the Church?

They were students of the expressions of young women as they went into confession. They knew every little scandal and some big crimes. The beggars also knew the doctor.

What were the citizens of Laz Paz like when the day they knew Kino was going to sell his pearl?

Word of it spread among the nuns, the beggars, the poor, the wealthy, and the pearl buyers.

What is one thing of value Kino owns?

a canoe that was Kino's grandfathers. He had given it to Kino's father, and his father had gave the canoe to Kino.

What does the doc give to Coyotito?

a medicine made up of a little bottle of white powder and a capsule of gelatin.

Where does Kino and Juana find a place to rest?

a place near to the road.

What does Juana do to mend her sons injury?

by using brown seaweed.

What does Kino discover when he regains his conscience?

he walks back to the beach to find that his canoe has been destroyed.

What did Kino almost do to the hunters?

ino felt the need to attack the hunters by leaping to the horseman, kill him quickly, take the rifle, and kill the others. When the hunters were very close to where Kino was hiding, he doesn't attack.

What does Coyotito injury look like at this point?

it was swelling on his shoulder and it had continued up his neck and under his ear and his face was puffed and feverish.

Why does Kino want to find a pearl?

so that he could pay the doctor to have his son be cured.

What does Kino have to deal with every day in the afternoons?

the crowding of neighbors.

What does the Servant tell Kino and Juana after he checks in with his master?

the doctor has gone out for a serious case. (a lie)

An act of kindness from the Neighbors?

the wealthy brings a little supper of chocolate and sweet cakes to Kino and his wife.

Why does Kino hate the doctor?

this doctor was not of Kino's people. He was of a race which for nearly 400 years had beaten, starved, robbed, and disliked Kino's race.

What is Kino and Juana's purpose to use the canoe every day?

to search for pearls.

What would Juana pay to the Doctor for having her son being treated?

useless pearl seeds.

What is docked on La Paz's beach?

white and blue canoes. They have come from Nayarit.