The Analysis of the Story "The Pearl" by John Steinbeck

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CONTENT

PLOT

Exposition

Kino and Juana lived together and then they have a child named Coyotito.

• At the beginning of story, Young Kino has a bad dream about people killed each other. Then, story continued to when Kino and Juana have grown up and lived together until they have a child was named Coyotito.

Rising Action 

Kino finds out the pearl of the world and it becomes big news around the village

• One night, Coyotito is attacked by the scorpion and Make both Kino and juana worried about their child’s life. They need a doctor to cure their son so that they came to Dr. Carl but they are rejected because they don’t have money. After the baby is cure, Kino accompanied by his wife to search a pearl in the sea. He dives to the sea and find out the pearl of the world which is the precious thing. It became big issue in around the village.

Climax 

Dr. Carl wants to take the pearl from Kino

• Dr. Carl’s servant told to Dr. Carl that Kino got a precious pearl and made Dr. Carl is curious so that he decided to visit Kino’s house. Dr. Carl pretended to treat Kino’s baby by giving poison and he said the baby will be okay after drinking the pill but suddenly the baby is getting vomit. Kino and Juana beg to Dr. Carl to help their child and they will give anything to Dr. Carl. Then, Dr. Carl gave the baby a medicine. Dr. Carl wanted to see Kino’s pearl and offered to keep Kino’s pearl in Dr. Carl’s brankas but Kino rejected it. 

Falling action 

Kino wants to sell the pearl to the big city

• Dr. Carl is getting mad after got rejected by Kino so he asked people to take the pearl from Kino and started to do some disturbance such as trying to steal the pearl, burning Kino’s house, Broke Kino’s boat, etc. In early morning, Kino and his family went to the city without anyone knows to sail the pearl. On the way to the city, there are three people that oblige by Dr. Carl who wants to take the pearl and kill Kino’s family then Kino’s fight against the three bad man and kill them.

Resolution 

Kino decided to throw away the pearl to the sea

• After Kino killed the three bad man and escaped, He and his family back to the village to inform the people that their ancestors who wants to sail the pearl to the big city was died. Then, Kino decided to throw away the pearl to the sea that seen by the people of the village. Then, they burned the house in that village and moved away from that village.

CONFLICT

The conflict from the story “The Pearl” is Dr. Carl pretends to treat Coyotito in order to take the pearl from Kino.

• Dr. Carl heard from his servant that Kino has the pearl of the world, he decided to come to Kino’s house and pretends to cure the baby but indeed he has tricky way in order to take the pearl from Kino.

There are two kinds of conflict: internal conflict  and external conflict

Internal conflict is conflict of mind

• In this story Kino changes his mind. At the beginning he wants to sail the pearl to the big city for the better life but at the end he decides to throw the pearl to the sea, it is because the bad impact of the pearl in their life.

External conflict is the conflict between Kino vs Dr. Carl

• In this story, Dr. Carl wants to take the pearl from Kino, so that he asked some people to attack Kino. Then, Kino tried to fight against that people in order to save himself and his family.

CHARACTER

Kino

Kino is a man who lived in a small island that surrounding the sea and a part of Seri people. He was a Pearl diver. He has a wife whose name is Juana and one son whose name is Coyotito. When he was a young boy, He was destined to find the pearl of the world. He has a good sense for something will be happened.

• Based on the main part or roles in this story, Kino belongs to main or major character. Because the story focuses on Kino and most of the story is talking about him from the beginning until the end of the story. In the story tells about Pearl diver and Kino’s destiny is to be found the pearl of the world.
• Based on the personal traits, Kino belongs to Complex or Round Character. Because he showed her depth personality in this story and He possess both good and bad traits. He kept protect the pearl in order to increase their level of society but in some cases he killed people who attacked his family.
• Based on the possibility to change, Kino belongs to Dynamic character because at the beginning he has obsession to sell the pearl to increase his family life level even though dangerous things always came to his family but In the end of the story, He threw away the pearl to see to save his family and Seri people.
• Based on the normative value, Kino belongs to Protagonist. Because the story described about the good moral behavior of Kino. We can see in the story Kino struggle to against the people who bothered his family and who wanted to steal the pearl even though He killed some people in the context to protect his family.

Juana

Juana is Kino’s wife who is very loyal with Kino and she always supports wherever her husband go. She is really loves her son although she will be died to protect her son.

• Based on the main part or roles in this story, Juana belongs to main or major character. Because the story focuses on Juana and most of the story is talking about her from the beginning until the end of the story. In the story tells the loyalty of Juana to her husband struggling started from the beginning until the end of story.
• Based on the personal traits, Juana belongs to Flat Character. Because she showed her simple character in this story. She just focused to be loyal and supported her husband in the story
• Based on the possibility to change, Juana belongs to Static character because the character of Juana is still remaining the same. She always supported her husband and protected her son.
• Based on the normative value, Juana belongs to Protagonist. Because the story described about the good moral behavior of Juana. We can see in the story Juana kept supported her husband even though the problems came to them.

Dr. Carl

He is the one and only doctor who lived in surrounding Seri people in a small island.  He doesn’t want to treat people if they don’t have any money. He is a money-oriented, greedy and tricky man.

• Based on the main part or roles in this story, Juana belongs to main or major character. Because Dr. Carl appeared at the beginning story when He came into Kino’s house until the end of story that he tried to steal the pearl from Kino.
• Based on the personal traits, Dr. Carl belongs to Complex or Round Character. Because he showed her depth personality in this story and He possess both good and bad traits. He didn’t want treat the poor people. He is also tricky when tried to take the pearl from Kino but He still cure the baby from the poison even though he gave the baby a poison at the first time.
• Based on the possibility to change, Dr. Carl belongs to Static character because the character of Dr. Carl still remains the same. He having bad temper from at the beginning of story until the end of story
• Based on the normative value, Dr. Carl belongs to Antagonist. Because the story described about the bad moral behavior. We can see in the story Dr. Carl always used the bad things to steal the pearl from Kino.

Coyotito

He is a child of Juana and Kino’s son.

Witch

She is a woman who helps Juana when given birth and a witch for Seri people. She also helps to cure coyotito when he is attacked by scorpion.

Priest

He is a pastor for Seri people and also the place for Seri people’s complain. He is a wise man. He gives the solution for people who have problem wisely. He baptizes Coyotito when he got attack by scorpion

Cassiana Silvino

He is the man who wants to help Kino crossing the sea through a big city. He was died before help Kino to cross the sea because falling from the cliff.

Captain

He is a captain in a ship. He is arrogant man who doesn’t allow to join into ship because Kino doesn’t has money and He was underestimate Kino to use her kanu.

Sergeant

He is a man who wanted to be a doctor like Dr. Carl and He worked for Dr.Carl to shoot Kino in order to get the pearl from Kino.

• Based on the normative value, Sergeant belongs to Antagonist. Because the story described about the bad moral behavior. We can see in the story Sergeant  accepted the job to kill Kino and Follow wherever Kino go.

Juan Thomas

He is a Kino’s brother who takes care of Kino’s family. He was concerned when Coyotito got attacked by Scorpion.

• Based on the possibility to change, Juan Thomas belongs to Dynamic character because at the beginning he already gave his pearl to the priest for charity because at the time, he got angry when he sells his pearl that unbalance with the price and then he beg again the pearl from the priest after he donated it.
• Based on the normative value, Juan Thomas belongs to Protagonist. Because the story described about the good moral of Juan Thomas. He always care of Kino’s family.

Apolonia

She is Juan Thomas’s wife who saved the baby from the house fire.

Dr. Carl’s Servant

He is a servant of Dr. Carl. He’s always standing beside Dr.Carl wherever the doctor goes.

• Based on the personal traits, Dr. Carl’s servant belongs to Complex or Round Character. Because he showed her depth personality in this story and He possess both good and bad traits. He always do whatever Dr. Carl’s command, in some case he never agree with Dr. Carl’s act even though he knew that Dr. Carl do something bad he is just silent and didn’t do anything but at the end of the story he ignored to shoot Kino.

SETTING

Place    

the story take place in a small rural in a seaside, Mexico.

Time

Morning, afternoon, night.

THEME

The theme from the story “The pearl” is greedy have killed much people in the life.

POINT OF VIEW

The point of view from the story “The Pearl” is third person omniscient point of view/third person (objective) because the author tells the story as if he knows everything in it. The author doesn’t tell anything to us, so we don’t know what people are thinking unless they say it and also we don’t know what people are feeling unless we infer it form their action or dialogue. The author doesn’t pass judgment on any of the characters.

SYMBOL

The Pearl

The pearl is precious thing. It also is a livelihood of people.

• The kind of symbol is traditional symbol because it is the common property of a society or a culture and also in this story the pearl is livelihoods of the people at that village which means that the pearl is the precious thing.

Scorpion

It is the animal which bit Kino’s son as the beginning of problem.

• The kind of symbol is origin symbol because it is using based on the context of the work. Scorpion is associated in the popular imagination with dangerous thing.

The sound of the pearl

It is the sign of warning about something bad that will be happen.

• The kind of symbol is origin symbol because it is using based on the context of the work. In this story this symbol gave a sign of danger that will be happen.

Ritual

Custom and mystical belief

• The kind of symbol is traditional symbol because it is the common property of a society or a culture. As we know that, from this story, people at that village still doing the ritual because it is their custom.

Kino’s canoe

The instrument that used by Kino to work

• The kind of symbol is traditional symbol because it is the common property of a society or a culture. In this story, Kino and people around the village used the canoe to work. Which means that the canoe is the property that used by the people.

CONCLUSION

We personally think that this story is good and very interesting, because this story tells us about many moral values. First, having knowledge in life is very important. People will underestimate and fool us unless having knowledge. Because of the lack knowledge, we will difficult to survive our successful in life. Then, we don’t impose the will of ourselves. If we know that it is wrong, say that. Probably it will give bad impact to the people around if we keep it. This story also tells about social life. Seri people help and protect each other. If there is one problem happens, they will solve it together. They also still conserve their traditional culture, such as still believe in witch for threatening.