Memorable memory: September 2009

Sinopsis Of Novel ~ THE PEARL

CHAPTER I

Kino awakes at dawn. He watches his son sleeping in a “hanging box”. He sees his wife who is already awake. Juana begins to prepared breakfast. It is a prefect morning and contented. He hears “The Song of the Family”.

Kino then sees a movement near the “hanging box”. A scorpion moves slowly down the rope supporting the box. Kino thinks of the “Song of Evil”- the music of the Enemy. Kino stands still ready to catch the scorpion. However Coyotito cries out in pain. Kino grabs the scorpion. He beats and stamps it “rubbing it into a paste”. He does this until the scorpion becomes only a “moist place in the dirt”. This shows Kino to be a very violent man who cannot control his anger.

Juana cares the baby in her arms. She finds the bite and quickly sucks out the poison. Kino stands around helplessly. The baby’s scream alerts the neighbors. Kino’s brother Juan Thomas, his fat wife Apolonia and their 4 children come running. Everyone knows how dangerous a scorpion bits can be. Kino looks at Juana and realizes what a strong woman she is. Juana calls for doctor. Everyone tells her that the doctor will not come to the houses of poor people. She then decides to take Coyotito to the doctor.

Seen a procession leads to the doctor’s house. The beggars from the church also join in. At the gate, a native Indian opens the gate. The fat lazy doctor is having his breakfast in bed. He wants to know what money Kino has. All Kino has is “8 misshapen pearls” which are “valueless”. The guard tells Kino that the doctor is not at home. Kino feels humiliated. He is so angry he hits his fist on the fate and hurts himself.

CHAPTER II

This chapter begins with a description of La Paz. It is situated on an estuary. The most important possession of the people here are the canoes.

That morning, a hazy mirage hangs over the Gulf. In such a situation, “there is no certainty in seeing, no proof that what you saw was there or was not there”.

Kino and Juana come down the beach. The canoe that Kino owns is the “one thing of value he owned in the world”. It has been handed down to him by his grandfather. A canoe is the “bulwark against starvation”. A person with canoe will never starve.

Juana lays Coyotito on a blanket and protects him from the hot sun. Coyotito’s face is “puffy” and “feverish”. Juana has put a poultice- a traditional remedy on Coyotito’s shoulder.

On the sea Kino hears 2 songs: the Song of the Pearl That Might Be and the Song of the Undersea. Kino gets underwater with the help of a heavy rock. He sees a clump of oysters. Through its shell, he sees a “ghostly gleam”. Kino’s heart begins to beat fast. Slowly, he forces the oyster loose. He holds it tightly against his breast. He then kicks his foot free from the rock and gives up to the canoe.

Juana helps him into the canoe. She knows he is excited but she pretends to look away. “It is not good to want a thing too much. It sometimes drives the luck away”.

Kino then begins to open up the oysters. He keeps the large one for the last. He is afraid what he saw may just an “illusion”. “Open it,” Juana says. He carefully opens it with his knife. In the oyster lays “the great pearl, perfect as the moon”. It was as large as a seagull’s egg. It was the greatest pearl in the world”. Juana catches her breath and moans. Kino holds the pearl in his bruised first. At the same time, Coyotito’s swelling is going down. He unable to control his emotions. Kino puts his head back and howls. All the other canoes come racing towards him.

CHAPTER III

The news of the pearl travels fast through the village. The priest hears of the pearl and wonders how he can benefit from it. When the doctor hears of the pearl, he lies that Kino is his “client”. Everyone becomes interested in the pearl. The shopkeepers want to sell Kino their old clothes. The beggars hope that Kino will be generous to them.

Kino and Juana are not aware of what people thinking. They think that everyone shares their joy. Kino has a vision of what he plans to do with his new fortune.
-He wants to get married in church.
-He wants to buy new clothes.
-He wants to buy a harpoon and a riffle.
-He wants to send his son to school.

Education for his son is very important to him because Kino knows that it is only through education that they can break out of their cycle of poverty.

The priest visits them and reminds them of their duty to the church. The doctor also comes visiting. Kino is very angry at seeing the doctor. The doctor puts fear into Kino when he says that a scorpion sting can have a very “curious” effect. Out of fear, Kino allows him to see Coyotito. The priest takes out a “white powder” from his bag, puts it into a gelative capsule and stuffs it into the baby’s mouth. He promises to return in an hour.

When the doctor is gone, the baby gets very sick. As promised, the doctor returns in an hour and gives Coyotito an anti-dote. The evil doctor had in fact poisoned the baby. Before leaving, he asks for payment. Kino says that he will pay the doctor once he has sold his pearl. The doctor pretends to surprised at the news of the pearl. Through the “flick” of Kino’s eyes, Kino gives away the hiding placed the pearl.

At night, Kino hears noises in his hut. He grabs his knife and goes out. He is attacked and hurt. The attacker escapes. Juana pleads with Kino to get rid of the pearl. She says that “this thing is evil”. “It will destroy us all …… even our son”.

Kino refuses to listen. He says that, “this is our one chance … … our son must go to school. He must break out of the pot that holds us in”. It is only through education of Coyotito that they can ever get out of the cycle of poverty.

CHAPTER IV

In La Paz, everyone knows that Kino is going to sell the pearl that morning. The neighbors talk about what they would do if they had the pearl.

Before leaving to sell the pearl, Juan Tomas warns Kino and Juana against the people who have been cheating them all their lives. Kino also knows that people who try to leave their “station” will be punished. The whole neighbors follow Kino and Juana to the town because if they don’t go, it will be a sign of “unfriendship”.

The pearl buyer inspects the pearl and says that it is only “fools gold”. It has no value. He offers 1000 pesos. Kino says his pearl worth 50000 pesos. Other pearl buyers are called. The first two don’t want it. The third man offers 500 pesos. Kino snatches the pearl and says that it is not for sale.

That night the neighbors discuss whether Kino has done the right things. Kino decides to sell his pearl in the capital. At the same time he is afraid of going to town – a place he has never been to.

That night Kino hears sounds outside his house. He takes his knife and goes out. Juana follows. She finds him bleeding. Once again she tells him that the pearl is evil. It will destroy them. They must throw it away. Kino is stubborn; he refuses to listen to her.

CHAPTER V

Kino feels some movement near him. Juana gets up silently from beside him. Kino watches her go out the door way. Kino begins to feel very angry. He knows Juana is going to the shore to throw the pearl away.

Kino chases Juana. Then he strikes her in the face with his clenched fist. He kicks her in the side. Juana does not fight back. Her husband is “half-insane, half-god” to her.

While walking back from the beach, Kino is attacked again. The attacker tries to find the pearl on Kino. In the fight, Kino kills the attacker. The pearl falls on the ground.

Juana gets up and follows Kino. She finds the pearl. She helps Kino up. She hides the dead man. Kino knows that his life has been charged forever. He orders Juana to fetch Coyotito and all the corn they have. Kino finds his canoe destroyed. He rushed home to find his house on fire. They go to Juan Tomas’s house where they hide for the night. They leave people with impression that they have died in the fire.

CHAPTER VI

As Kino and Juana travel northwards, Kino feels excited. As they walk they keep covering their tracks so that no one will follow them. Juana wonders whether the pearl has any value after all. When they stop to rest during the day, Juana does not sleep. Suddenly, they heard noises. Kino gets up to investigate. He notices 3 trackers – one is on horseback. As the trackers pass by, they do not see Kino.

Kino and Juana escape into the mountains. Kino orders Juana to keep Coyotito quiet. All of them hide in a cave near a stream. While hiding in the cave, Kino finds that the trackers are already by the stream. Kino takes off his white clothing so that he will not be seen. The trackers hear Coyotito crying – they think it is a coyote pup. As the tracker prepares to shoot what he thinks is a coyote, Kino pounces on him. He grabs one of the tracker’s rifle and shoots him between the eyes. He stabs the other with his knife. The third tracker escapes up the cliff towards the cave. Kino shoots him. Kino stands silently and hears nothing but cry of death. Coyotito had been shot.

Kino and Juana arrive back in La Paz. Kino carries a gun while Juana has in her hands a bundle – the dead Coyotito. No one speaks to them. They walk directly to the sea. As they reach the shore, Kino remembers seeing Coyotito lying in the cave with his head shot. Kino throws the pearl away.