



Answering more questions on “The Pearl” for SPM 2010/ English/ Literature Component

Dear Form 5 students, since your examination is just around the corner, I have written the answers to 5 more questions in order to aid you…

1.    Based on the story that you have learned, write about the HOPES of ONE of the characters. WHAT DID THE CHARACTER DO to achieve his/her hopes? Support your answer with close reference to the text.
“The Pearl” by John Steinback is a novel that reveals the power of hope living in people. Kino, a poor pearl diver, begins to have great hopes after the discovery of the pearl of the world, so in order to fullfill his hopes, so became an ambitious, aggressive and determined person in order to protect the pearl before selling it.
Kino became an ambitious person when he tried to sell the pearl in order to fullfill his hopes to bring his wife, Juana, their baby, Coyotito out of the clutches of poverty, discrimination and hardship. Kino hopes to educate Coyotito through formal education, marry Juana in a proper ceremony in church, buy himself a rifle- Winchester carbine, and a harpoon. The doctor pretended to cure Coyotito from his scorpion bite, in order to get the pearl, but Kino is alert to protect the pearl and hid it. When the pearl buyers tried to cheat him, he took all the effort to protect the pearl, as he wanted a higher price for the pearl. He became too ambitious and is willing to go thru all the difficulties to sell the pearl for a better price.

Besides that, Kino became aggressive when he tried to protect the pearl to full fill his hopes. He killed an attacker in self defense when the attacker tries to steal his pearl. When Juana tried to throw away the pearl that have cause misery to her family, Kino caught her arm and wrenched the pearl from her. Kino struck Juana in her face with his clenched fist and she fell among the bounlders, and he kicked her in the side.
Kino, became more determined when he planned to go to another town to sell his pearl. After killing one of the attackers in self defence, he tried to flee with Juana and Coyotito, but their canoe was damaged by the evil hearted people who tried to get his pearl. Then he noticed that his brush hut is burnt down, so he got shelter from his brother, Juan Thomas. Later, he flees to the mountains with Juana and Coyotito to go to Loreto, another town to sell the pearl.
Through out the story, Kino’s hope to have a better life for him and his family made him undergo critical and dramatic moments, when Coyotito was accidently killed, his hopes changed into a regretful tone, when he threw the pearl into the sea, he hopes to go on with his life with his beloved wife but this time a hope to go on life without his beloved son, Coyotito.

2.    Based on the novel that you have learned, what is the significance of the title of the novel? Support your answer with close reference to the text.
Based on “The Pearl” by John Steinback, the significance of the title is the symbolism of the pearl which is revealed  ironically. The pearl symbolises goodness which brings purity, holiness and wealth but in this story, the pearl symbolises a bad image which brings evilness, greediness and enviness.
The pearl symbolises evilness when Kino’s personality changes from a benevolence husband and father to an evil person after he discovers the pearl of the world. In order to protect the pearl as he said the pearl has become his soul, he became aggressive when one of the attackers tried to steal his pearl, in self defense, he killed the attacker. Kino also hit Juana when she tried to throw the pearl which she claims had cause evilness to humans.
The pearl also reveals the symbol of greediness. Greediness is portrayed through the doctor’s hypocrisy. The doctor is willing to sacrifice his professional etiquette to obtain the pearl when he made Coyotito suffer by the drug he gave the baby and then returning to give him the antidote to cure. He did all this because he wishes to posses the pearl out of his greed.  Moreover the pearl buyers and dealers conspired to cheat the poor Kino into selling the pearl in a very low price. They want to cheat him because of their greediness to make more profit.
Apart from that, the pearl also revealed enviness.  This is revealed by the people who envied Kino, they burnt down his hut and damaged his canoe which he has inheritted from his grandfather. They are also willing to commit the crime to steal the pearl as they envy Kino being the owner of the pearl. Even the priest envied Kino and demands money from him as he wishes to repair the church.
Thus, the pearl brought the image of evilness, greediness and enviness which have destroyed the quality of humanity, caused disunity, deception and selfishness to control the human hearts.

3.    In life a person sometimes faces problems. How is this shown in the novel you have read? Support your answer with close reference to the text.
Based on the novel “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck, Kino, the main character,is a very contented pearl diver  although he lacks material possessions. However, he faces problems which cause him great suffering and discomfort of mind and soul as he struggle to overcome them.
Kino faces a problem when Coyotito is stung by a scorpion. He and his wife tried to save their baby by bringing him to the doctor. Unfortunately, the doctor refuses to treat the baby as Kino has no money to pay him. He became so desperate, so he went out to the sea to dive for pearls to cure Coyotito. He managed to find the pearl of the world, and hopes to cure Coyotito and to bring him and his wife, Juana, out of the clutches of poverty, discrimination and hardship. However, he faces more problems with the pearl.
The pearl that Kino found caused evilness to root in the hearts of those who wish to possess them, so Kino has to go through difficulties to protect the pearl. He has to face the doctor who tried to get the pearl from him by pretending to cure Coyotito, the pearl buyers and dealers who tried to cheat him by offering a very low price for the valuable pearl, the priest who wish to repair the church, the attackers and trackers who tried to steal his pearl.
Kino also became obsessed of the pearl and began to behave unwisely. He killed one of the attackers on self defence, hit his wife, Juana, on her face and kicked her when she tried to throw away the pearl, he refused to sell the pearl for a low price and caused those who envied him to damage his canoe and burn his brush hut. He said the pearl has become his soul, and he could not part from it even when Juana, his beloved, patient wife tried to advise him to get rid of the pearl as it has caused evilness to root in the people’s heart, mind and soul.Kino flee to the mountains with Juana and their baby as he wanted to sell the pearl at Loreto, another town. However, he faced problems again when one of the trackers accidently shoot Coyotito. Finally he felt remorseful as the pearl has caused problems that he himself created and caused the tragic event of losing his beloved son which is much more valuable than the pearl.

4.    Based on the novel that you have learned, choose a character and describe how being poor affects the character’s life? Support your answer with close reference to the text.

5.    Identify a character in the novel that has experienced great hardships. How have the hardships experienced in the story changed the character?

For the question 4 and 5, I have already disscused during our class, end of last month, so I’ll not elaborate more on them. Please make sure you write good and concrete textual evidences to support all your statements and make sure of your grammar usage, spelling, variety of sentences and punctuation…..

-(Question 4) Have to find  a pearl to get money to cure Coyotito/
       Protect the pearl/ being so obssesed
        Renounce the pearl/ when Coyotito was killed
-(Question 5) From a loving father and husband to an aggresive one
       Being so obssesed/ commiting murder/ to protect the pearl
       Remorseful/ when Coyotito is killed/ he threw the pearl as though as 
       he is throwing away all his dreams and hopes.

so all the BEST for your coming SPM examination!!


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