Critical Book Report for Fiction

Having one’s wildest dreams suddenly come true isn’t always the best thing that can happen. People who win millions in the lottery end up with nothing but trouble or unhappiness. Friends and family ask for money and it becomes difficult to trust anyone. It is soon hard to tell who is a true friend and who just wants the money. Even though this may be true, it is still fun to dream about how to spend all of those millions.

In The Pearl, John Steinbeck takes greed one step further. Kino is a man so simple that his wildest dreams seem pretty basic: a shotgun, a happy marriage, and an education for his son, Coyotito. Suddenly, all of this becomes possible when Kino, a native man from a small Latino village of ancient times, discovers the “Pearl of the World”. For this poor fisherman, the huge pearl should bring him happiness, but all he finds is heartache and misery.

After Kino finds the pearl, everything in his young life seems to fall apart. There are two attempts to steal the pearl. The pearl buyers in town try to cheat him of its value and make him feel stupid. Vandals destroy his boat and burn his hut to the ground. His family even begins to act strangely. All he has left of his former happy, normal life is his wife and son. But even his loyal wife, Juana, appears to turn against him when she tries to toss the evil pearl into the sea.

Because he kills a man trying to defend himself, Kino and his family are left with no other options than to go on a dangerous journey to the capital city in an attempt to sell the pearl at a larger broker. They hope to get a fair price for the pearl. Kino becomes almost an animal as they travel, alert to danger everywhere. Thieves destroy the last of the family’s former joyby accidentally shooting the family’s small boy when aiming for Kino. Broken and defeated, Kino and Juana return brokenhearted to their village. Kina throws the pearl back into the sea because he realizes its value was nothing compared to that of Coyotito.

One of the most memorable parts of the novel is when a scorpion bites Coyotito. Kino has no money and the doctor thinks his Native people are like animals, so he refuses to see them and help the child. Kino rages, but he has no power to change the prejudices that have existed for hundreds of years. In his utter frustration, Kino beats his hands on the doctor’s iron gate until they are bloody before allowing himself to give up. When he finds the large pearl, the doctor suddenly comes to him. However, the doctor still doesn’t think Kino and his kind are worthy. He pulls a trick to make it look like he has cured Coyotito. The real reason he came to Kino’s hut was to see if he could find the pearl. He watches Kino’s eyes as he asks about the pearl and knows where it is buried. Shortly after the doctor leaves, someone tries to steal the pearl for the first time. This sequence of events strikes me as a perfect example of how hopeless Kino’s situation really is.

Steinbeck’s writing style makes The Pearl a pleasure to read. His simple sentence structure and vocabulary allow the reader to focus on the strong themes in the story. In times of happiness, the rhythm of his writing is like the soothing Song of the Family that Kino sings. In bad times, the rhythm is dark and brooding like the Song of Evil. I could almost feel the forces closing in around Kino and his family. However, this is not an easy book to read because it is so compact. Events come crashing down on Kino and his family at a scary pace. This is not a story in which everything works out. In fact, I was absolutely shocked by the ending. While Kino’s journey is painful, Steinbeck still makes the trip worthwhile. Read this book; it might not be easy, but it’s an experience which should not be missed. I still dream about those millions, but now I am aware of how my sudden riches may change the behavior of those around me, and I understand that family is more valuable than anything.

********************************************************************************

Rubric

Point Value: Content Components:

10Title and author, and genre of book are worked into openingparagraph smoothly

5 Setting (time/place) and characters (physical and personality trait) are explained

20 The problem (conflict) the main character has to overcome and how he/she resolves it it is described in detail

The changes in the character as the story progresses (character development) are

identified

20The plot is thoroughly explained and the turning point or best part of thestory is

described in detail

10 The theme or moral of the book is explained

Writing Components:

10Opening and closing are well written

  • Opening grabs reader’s attention
  • Closing has a full circle and/or satisfying ending

10 Correct grammar, punctuation, usage and spelling

5 Must be clear that you read the full story (Your words; not summary on back of the

book!)

100Comments:

Note: One extra credit book report can be submitted per quarter. I will grade it using this rubric and divide the points in half. You can earn up to 50 extra credit points!