Name ___________________________________ Hour ______ Date ___________
The Pearl – Close Reading Homework
Reading Directions: Read the passage below from The Pearl once with no writing utensil. Read
again and follow the directions below. You will need to use different colors!
“And the beauty of the pearl, winking and glimmering in the light of the little candle, cozened his brain with
its beauty. So lovely it was, so soft, and its own music came from it—its music of promise and delight, its
guarantee of the future, of comfort, of security. Its warm lucence promised a poultice against illness and a wall
against insult. It closed a door on hunger. And as he stared at it Kino’s eyes softened and his face relaxed. He
could see the little image of the consecrated candle reflected in the soft surface of the pearl, and he heard again
in his ears the lovely music the undersea, the tone of the diffused green light of the sea bottom. Juana, glancing
secretly at him, saw him smile. And because they were in some way one thing and one purpose, she smiled with
him.
And they began this day with hope.” (Steinbeck 44-45).
Annotating Directions:
1. Underline in yellow anything that is key to our understanding of the character or story.
2. Put a * next to any phrase or passage you feel applies to life today.
3. [Bracket any passage or use of diction you believe to be beautiful and aesthetically appealing
or uses any of the literary elements studied]
Analysis Directions
4. How does this passage remind you of anything you have read or seen before in literature or
film?
5. What can you predict about Kino from this passage? Underline these clues in red.
6. What is foreshadowing and how is this an example of it?
7. What can you infer about the cultural norms of Juana and Kino from this passage. Underline
these clues in blue.
Writing Directions: After completing your close reading, write a detailed response in which you
analyze and support your ideas to the following question. See the definition for analysis below to
ensure you are completing the expectations. You should use a minimum of 2 citations to support
your response:
How does this passage apply to ONE of these essential questions for The Pearl?
➢ What is Steinbeck saying about cause of good and evil?
➢ How does Steinbeck use the ideas of dreams and illusions in the novel?
➢ What does this novel say about the power of family and tradition?
Analysis = detailed examination of the elements or structure
of something, typically as a basis for discussion or interpretation.
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