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The Pearl Symbolism Essay Assignment
Because The Pearl is a parable, or a story written to teach a lesson, the meaning of the pearl itself is never explicitly defined. Nevertheless, though the nature of the pearl’s symbolism is left to each reader’s interpretation, this symbolism seems to shift over the course of the work. At first, the pearl represents a stroke of divine providence. Once the town finds out about the pearl, however, the object begins to make everyone who beholds it, including Kino, greedy. Juana and Juan Tomás begin to view the pearl as a threat rather than a blessing.
The pearl elicits more and more greed on Kino’s part, as he begins to devote all his energies and possessions to protecting it. It thus comes to symbolize the destructive nature of materialism.
The way the pearl is depicted through the course of the novella mirrors the changes that Kino himself undergoes. At first, the pearl is a simple and beautiful object of nature. Once it becomes entangled with notions of material value, however, it becomes destructive and dangerous. The pearl is an object of natural beauty and goodness that draws out the evil inherent in mankind.
Prompt: John Steinbeck is known for his use of symbolism in his literary works. Write an essay explaining how the pearl, the novella’s central symbol, represents both hope and greed. Be sure to include textual evidence to support your explanation using direct quotations.
Unlock the prompt.
1. Read the Prompt and any other information that is supplied with it.
2. Highlight key words, action verbs, etc. in the prompt.
3. What type of writing would you be doing for this assignment? ______
4. What are the tasks, expectations, and “musts” that you will need to include in order to be successful on this writing assignment?
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5. Write an Initial Thesis Statement
The thesis statement organizes your essay and alerts the reader to your topic (the symbols) and your position (the deeper meanings of your chosen symbols). The thesis statement is the final statement in your introductory paragraph.
Thesis Statement Examples from “Tell Tale Heart”:
Good: In his short story, Poe includes several important symbols.
Better: Due to Poe's use of rich symbolism, “Tell Tale Heart” has become a literary work worthy of being considered a classic.
Best: Poe’s ability to masterfully incorporate symbolism through items such as the narrator’s heartbeat and the old man’s eye, has made “Tell Tale Heart” one of the most well-read classics.
Initial Thesis Statement:
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Writing an Introductory Paragraph
Basic Elements of the Introductory Paragraph
First Body Paragraph: HOPE
Second Body Paragraph: GREED/MATERIALISM
Writing a Concluding Paragraph
Basic Elements of the Concluding Paragraph
In a literary analysis, your concluding paragraph should include three basic elements: restatement of the thesis, the “so what” of your essay (final analysis), and the lasting thought. The concluding paragraph should begin with the restatement of the thesis statement, but it should be addressed in a new and interesting way. The “so what” part of your essay is where you explain the significance of your character and his or her traits and the impact the character made on the plot, theme, mood, etc. The lasting thought should leave your reader with a sense of closure and finality. One very effective way to conclude your essay is to refer back to your hook in an interesting and thought-provoking way.
Draft Your Essay a Minimum of Three Times (Rough Draft, Typed Draft, Final Draft)
Reminders (Be sure to review the rubric.)
1. Be sure to include your cover page on the final draft. Remember, when you have a cover page you do NOT include your name on the pages of your actual essay.
2. Make sure you make the changes suggested by both the editing process and the final proofing of your paper. You may even want to have one more person proofread your paragraph (parent, friend, older sibling).
3. Your essay MUST be typed, double spaced, and in Times New Roman font with 1” margins. No exceptions. Plan ahead!
Formal Writing Checklist
§ Present tense verbs only (he ran = he runs).
§ No contractions; use apostrophes correctly (you will still need them to show possession). Remember, contractions become two words (don’t = do not).
§ Use third person point of view (he, she, they, them, etc.). Eliminate first person pronouns (I, me, my, us, we, you, etc.).
§ Use your spell check and grammar check!
§ Use the right word (think about it: their/there or two/to/too).
§ Always use complete sentences.
§ Use fresh, precise words (eliminate dead words such as anything, stuff, thing, very, always, a lot, lots, got, get).
Formatting Checklist
§ Times New Roman font
§ 12-point font
§ 1” margins
§ Proper citations/parenthetical documentation (Steinbeck 65)
§ Double spaced
§ Properly formatted heading
Save ALL your drafts
and follow your teacher’s turn-in instructions for the final draft
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The Pearl Symbolism Essay Rubric
Advanced / Proficient / Basic / Below Basic / ScoreContent & Organization / q Introductory Paragraph effectively grabs the reader’s attention and presents relevant background information in a highly interesting way
q Thesis Statement addresses the prompt in a compelling and highly interesting way
q Concrete Details/Evidence conclusively and decisively prove(s) the thesis statement
q Commentary/Explanation shows thorough and in-depth analysis of the concrete details/evidence
q Concluding Paragraph revisits the thesis statement in a new and interesting way, stresses the importance of the topic, and leaves a lasting impression on the reader / q Introductory Paragraph adequately grabs the reader’s attention and presents relevant background information
q Thesis Statement addresses the prompt clearly
q Concrete Details/Evidence clearly support(s) the thesis statement
q Commentary/Explanation clearly connects concrete details/evidence to key ideas
q Concluding Paragraph revisits the thesis statement and clearly stresses the importance of the topic / q Introductory Paragraph attempts to grab the reader’s attention, presents an insufficient amount of relevant background information, or is unclear/confusing
q Thesis Statement is attempted but is inadequate
q Concrete Details/Evidence are/is present but are/is weak and/or wander(s) from the thesis statement
q Commentary/Explanation is attempted but lacks depth and/or is mostly plot summary
q Concluding Paragraph simply duplicates the thesis statement and/or only repeats information and ideas from the essay, or the paragraph is unclear/confusing / q Introductory Paragraph is absent, inadequate, and/or irrelevant
q Thesis Statement is absent or irrelevant
q Concrete Details/Evidence are/is absent and/or irrelevant
q Commentary/Explanation is absent, irrelevant, and/or inaccurate
q Concluding Paragraph is absent, inadequate, and/or irrelevant / ____/40
Style / q Quotations are smoothly blended into the essay to enhance the fluency and effectiveness of the writing
q Formal Style is used consistently (no first or second person pronouns, contractions, past tense, casual language, dead words, slang) / q Quotations are blended into the essay and do not interrupt the fluency of the writing
q Formal Style is used most of the time (minimal use of first or second person pronouns, contractions, past tense; no casual language, dead words, or slang) / q Quotations are inconsistently or inadequately blended into the essay
q Formal Style is inconsistently used (overuse use of first or second person pronouns, contractions, past tense, casual language, dead words, slang) / q Quotations are not blended into the essay
q Formal Style is not used (overuse use of first or second person pronouns, contractions, past tense, casual language, dead words, slang) / _____/30
Conventions / q Very few errors in capitalization, usage, punctuation, and spelling / q Some errors, but they do not interfere with reading or understanding the writing / q Several errors that slow down the reader / q Filled with errors that interfere with reading and understanding the writing / _____/10
Formatting / q Quotations are consistently cited with proper parenthetical documentation
q Essay meets all of the following formatting expectations: typed, double-spaced, proper heading, 12-point font, Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins / q Incorrect or no parenthetical documentation
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q Essay does not meet all of the following formatting expectations: typed, double-spaced, proper heading, 12-point font, Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins / _____/20
Total Score / _____/100
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