Monday, July 25, 2016
POST 3: ANIMAL IMAGERY IN THE PEARL (August 1-5)
Two of the qualities that mark John Steinbeck's work are his deep feeling for nature and his great sympathy for people. Part of his affinity for nature stems from his attending Stanford University and actually majoring in marine biology (!). Furthermore, in 1940, after he had already written great masterpieces such as OF MICE AND MEN and THE GRAPES OF WRATH, he sailed in a sardine boat with a friend to collect marine invertebrates from the beaches of the Gulf of California. He heard the story of a poor Indian boy who found a magnificent pearl. Guess what this story turned into....
Your job in this blog entry is to discuss the plethora of animal imagery that can be found throughout this novella. The hissing snakes, the fish, Kino and Juana being compared as animals, the ants, the scorpion, the dogs, and the list goes on and on of various types of animals used for a specific purpose. WHAT are some examples of animal imagery used in this piece and what EFFECT do you think Steinbeck hoped to achieve by using it?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Steinbeck compares Juana’s eyes to those of a lioness, “Her eyes as cold as the eyes of a lioness” (Steinbeck, 9), putting emphasis on how much she cares for her son. Coyotito is killed at the end of the book, and by looking at this, you can see how hard it will be for her to lose her son. After the scorpion bite, Juana did whatever she could to save and protect her son. When he is killed, there is nothing that she can do to save him, and the lioness comparison is almost a prelude to that. Steinbeck uses more figurative language to compare the Song of the Family to “the snarl of a female puma” (Steinbeck, 111). He does this to emphasize how the bond of the family drove Kino to kill the men who were a danger to his family. Kino loved his family so much that he would do anything to protect them, even kill.
ReplyDeleteYou used Steinbeck’s example of comparing Juana to a lioness, and he included the scorpion bite, but allowed Coyotito to live. Do you think that he foreshadowed his death at the end of the book by adding these details? Also, on page 32 after Kino found the pearl he states, “A rifle,” he said, “Perhaps a rifle,”(page 32). With this statement I believe Steinbeck definitely hints at death by a rifle, which is how the baby dies at the end. Lastly, you mentioned that Kino loved his family so much that he would be willing to kill for them, but is it possible it wasn't his family he was willing to kill for but for the pearl instead? He only showed his willingness to kill after they found it.
DeleteI think Coyotito's death was definitely foreshadowed by those details. I'm not sure I agree with your last statement. Kino originally wanted Juana and Coyotito to run away, so that only he would be killed/captured if the trackers found him. When they wouldn't leave him, he took drastic measures to keep them safe, although in the end, the baby was killed.
DeleteIn responce to Faith, I also believe that the incident with the poisonous scorpion and Coyotito foreshadowed the baby's death. Furthermore, Steinbeck used animal imagery for the use of foreshadowing many times. For example, "He watched the ants moving, a little column of them near to his foot, and he put his foot in their path." (Steinbeck 92) The author uses Kino and the ants in a figurative way. Kino and his family are the ants and the shoe is the pearl. The shoe disrupts the ants way of life and likewise, the pearl will get into the way of Kino and his family's life. Which then caused them to have to climb over many obstacles to reach their "happiness" from money.
DeleteAshley we only see his life choices when he gets the pearl and I definitely think he would've hurt the doctor if he had the chance for denying his son treatment
DeleteIn the chapter one of The Pearl, there were numerous references to animals. Kino’s whole race is treated in an animal-like fashion by the Spanish. Steinbeck writes, “He could kill the doctor more easily than he could talk to him, for all of the doctor's race spoke to all of Kino's race as though they were simple animals,” (Steinbeck 12). This quote highlights the major differences between the races. There isn’t any communication, or sympathy between them, and the Spanish view the Indians as being primitive and dangerous. Also, after Coyotito gets bit by the scorpion, it states, “She [Juana] looked up at him, her eyes as cold as the eyes of a lioness,” (Steinbeck 9). The figurative language used shows the strength of Juana’s maternal instinct. The lion simile represents that she will do anything to save her baby, even become dangerous if it is required.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that there’s an uneasy relationship between the Indians and the doctor. Although I wouldn’t say the Spanish consider the Indians as dangerous. Instead I believe it’s the complete opposite. For when Kino and the other Indians arrived at the doctor’s house, “Kino hesitated a moment. This doctor was not of his people. This doctor was of a race which for nearly four hundred years had beaten and starved and robbed and despised Kino’s race, and frightened it too… And as always when he came near to one of this race, Kino felt weak and afraid and angry at the same time” (Steinbeck 12). The Indians fear the Spanish for they are wealthier and superior.
DeleteI agree with you on how Steinbeck used the Page 9 quote to show Juana's maternal instinct. However, I lean towards Liane's comment when it comes to the relationship between the Spanish and the Indians. I feel that while the Spanish view the Indians as primitive, the opposite is also true in that the Indians see the Spanish as technologically advanced and threatening.
DeleteAfter reading John Steinbeck’s novella The Pearl, I realized there are many descriptive paragraphs, occasionally too many of them. With that being stated, it created a vivid picture in my mind. What I noticed most often was his imagery including animals. On page 3 to page 4 Steinbeck foreshadowed events in the future by including, “The ants were busy on the ground, big black ones with shiny bodies, and little dusty quick ants. Kino watched with the detachment of God while a dusty any frantically tried to escape the sand trap an ant lion had dug for him.” I think the author is discretely foreshadowing the evil, even Satan-like events that the pearl will bring to the family. Immediately after Steinbeck explains the ants he quotes, “A thin, timid dog came close and, at a soft word from Kino, curled up, arranged its tail neatly overs its feet, and laid its chin delicately on the pile,”(page 4). This shows the kind nature that Kino has at the beginning of the novella, but after he finds the pearl, his personality takes a turn for the worst. Another dog, or perhaps the same one, greets him again. “The thin dog came to him and threshed itself in greeting like a wind-blown flag, and Kino looked down at it and didn't see it,”(page 37). This shows that evil has come with the pearl, and it changes his sense of selflessness. He is no longer kindhearted. He is cold. Steinbeck uses this to indirectly show the change in Kino’s personality. Although difficult to notice upon first glance, Steinbeck uses hundreds of examples of animal imagery throughout The Pearl.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ashley, I disagree that Kino became cold hearted. The first things he spoke of when he found the pearl was that he and Juana would get married, and that Coyotito would go to school. Both of those things were for his family more than for himself. He did say he would buy a rifle, but I perceived that as something he would use to provide for and protect his family. I didn't catch the part about the ants, but I definitely agree. Good job thinking deep!
DeleteAs a reply to Ashley, I agree with Faith in that I do not believe Kino lost his kindheartedness. Since he had seen the dog the first time, he has had to cope with his first and only child being stung by a scorpion, being insulted and refused help by the doctor, and the stress of protecting the pearl; which was his hope of a good future for his family. I believe that while he seemed to turn cold and unkind, he just formed a hard appearance because of the attacks in attempt to steal the pearl and the stress and worry placed on him. Like Faith said, you did a nice job digging deep! I hadn’t even given the dog a second thought until I read your post!
DeleteIn response to Ashley, I like what she said about how the dog's trusting nature towards Kino shows that he is a kind man at the beginning of The Pearl. When the story starts, Kino is a simple, poor man who only hopes to make life better and easier for his wife and infant son. I completely agree that this is what Steinbeck wanted readers to learn by showing the dogs actions towards Kino. I also agree with you that Kino is completely changed at the end of the book and that is why it is specified that he ignored the second dog that came to him later in the story. I also like your views on the scence involving the ants and their sand trap. I think that the real "sand trap" was the pearl's effect on Kino, which caused him to become selfish and overall a bad man.
DeleteIn response to Ashley, Faith, and Mary, I do believe that Kino lost his kindheartedness throughout the novel, though I do not believe that he was extremely kind-hearted in the first place. It was evident even in the first couple chapters that Kino experienced rage. He experienced such rage when he and his wife and baby went to ask for the doctors help the first time. Even before speaking to the doctor he experienced rage as Steinbeck wrote "He could kill the doctor more easily than he could talk to him..." (Steinbeck 9). I believe this was just sort of a hint at Kino's nature. Also, it is obvious that throughout the novel as Kino is in possession of the pearl that he begins to be consumed by greed. He was willing to travel to the capital with his family for the pearl, which ultimately lead to the death of young Coyotito which would cause much greif.
DeleteSteinbeck uses animal imagery multiple times throughout the book. In chapter 3 Steinbeck writes, " The skinny black puppy with flame spots in its eyes came to Kino's door and looked in. He nearing shook his hind quarters loose when Kino looked up at him, and subsided when Kino looked away". (Steinbeck 43). The black puppy represents the villagers, and how they are hoping for Kino to use some of his money to help the village but when Kino looks away it shows he has no intentions to do so, and the villagers become disappointed. In chapter one, Kino finds a scorpion crawling over Coyotito's hanging box. "Kino's hand leaped to catch it [the scorpion], but it fell past his fingers, fell onto the baby's shoulder, landed and struck" (Steinbeck 7). The scorpion represents evil and the baby represents innocence. So, it shows evil attacking the innocent, thus representing a scorpion attacking an innocent, helpless baby. Lastly, in chapter one, Steinbeck compares Juana to a lioness. “She [Juana] looked up at him, her eyes as cold as a lioness” (Steinbeck 9). The cold eyes of the lioness represent the determination and support that Juana has for Kino and her son.
ReplyDeleteYour response makes me think about the numerous times animal imagery is used throughout the novel. I didn't notice the black puppy imagery until you analyzed it. I did however write about the lioness reference. I said that she was compared to a lion to represent the strength of her maternal instincts. Being a lion means she could turn dangerous if required to save her baby.
DeleteYour response makes me wonder about all the other animal imageries I might have missed or looked over throughout the book. I didn't get the one about the puppy compared to the villagers. It shows how careless and selfish the pearl has made Kino. Both Juana and the villagers see that the pearl only brings evil, but Kino doesn't care, nor does he listen to their advice.
DeleteThe black puppy fits the representation of the villagers quite well. However, the way Kino responded by looking away not only displayed no interest, but also greed. Kino's village portrays unity, as they always are gathering in his house when an event happens. On page 57 Steinbeck states, there was no self consciousness about their joining Kino and Juana to go pearl selling. It was expected, it was an historic moment, they would be crazy if they didn't go. It would almost be a sign of unfriendship." (Steinbeck 57) This claims that even though Kino is uninterested in sharing the wealth, the villagers are still willing to support Kino and his family. Therefore, Steinbeck is displaying how wealth can change a man. While realizing that money does not lead to the key of happiness can hold a true joy, forgiveness, and love in someones heart. This is what the villagers displayed while supporting Kino even through his greediness.
DeleteThrough the overabundance of animal imagery in John Steinbeck’s novel, The Pearl, readers get an excellent experience from reading the book. One example, is the precise wording Steinbeck used to describe Kino’s character and behavior as shown on page 26, “...his emotions broke over him. He put back his head and howled”. Also, Kino was acting animal-like while trying to protect Coyotito from the scorpion, “His hands were in front of him, palms down…” (Steinbeck 6). As the reader, we can infer the Indians are referred as animals because of these examples. The doctor, at first, refused to help Coyotito because the family didn’t have money and simply responded, “Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for ‘little Indians’? I am a doctor, not a veterinary” (Steinbeck 14). Through these actions, the author makes it clearer to the reader the relationship between the Indians and the wealthy. Another animal imagery used in this novel was on page three through four, “Kino watched with the detachment of God while a dusty ant frantically tried to escape the sand trap an ant lion had dug for him”. This metaphor can be seen as the continuous struggle Kino and his family has. Lastly from Steinbeck’s lucid descriptions on page 111, “...the night was not silent; the little tree frogs that lived near the stream twittered like birds, and the high metallic ringing of the cicadas filled the mountain cleft…” then transitioning to “Tree frogs and cicadas were silent now” readers can conclude something dreadful happened (Steinbeck 114). Steinbeck did an outstanding job using animal imagery to help the readers understand the content and the mood through the vivid descriptions of the animal imagery.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Liane, I can see how the whole Indian tribe was compared to animals. Steinbeck seemed to do that in order to convey how the wealthy thought of the Indians. I didn't catch the night descriptions near the end, but I definitely agree! It gives you such a strong feeling for what happened. The two quotes together give off an aura of sadness, and Steinbeck did a very good job with that.
DeleteI agree with you that there’s an uneasy relationship between the Indians and the doctor. Although I wouldn’t say the Spanish consider the Indians as dangerous. Instead I believe it’s the complete opposite. For when Kino and the other Indians arrived at the doctor’s house, “Kino hesitated a moment. This doctor was not of his people. This doctor was of a race which for nearly four hundred years had beaten and starved and robbed and despised Kino’s race, and frightened it too… And as always when he came near to one of this race, Kino felt weak and afraid and angry at the same time” (Steinbeck 12). The Indians fear the Spanish for they are wealthier and superior.
ReplyDeleteMany instances of animal symbolism appeared in Steinbeck's work, and many if not all had an impending affect on the reader's understanding of characters or events. Some stood out as clearly as day but still refrained from giving the reader important details of later occurrences in the novel. One can very well consider the child's name such an exemplar. It translates from Spanish to "little coyote", which makes perfect sense considering that the hunters mistook Coyotito's cry for that of the animal later in the text (pg. 113). The ant-related quote on the eighth page and its contrasting image which page 92 displays also serve several notable purposes. The former reads, "Kino watched with the detachment of God while a dusty ant frantically tried to escape the sand trap an ant lion had dug for him." Here Steinbeck exposes Kino's understanding and relation to nature's struggles while also displaying his lack of necessity to interfere. Additionally, he considers himself a part of it and as such does not feel particularly impressed by what it offers. The opposing example nearly parallels, with Kino's response serving as the mainly prominent difference. He at this point feels the damaging effects of the pearl's power and therefore acts in a way unlike his personality; he interferes; in fact, he antagonizes. The ants march innocently along their earthen rug, and Steinbeck's hero sticks his foot in their path, fatigued from his struggles of eluding his pursuers. These instances feature nature's hidden dimensions which inadvertently provide an almost alternative storyline for the reader.
ReplyDeleteThroughout his novel, The Pearl, John Steinbeck uses many literary devices to enhance the reader’s experience. However, some forms of enhancement are more obvious and have a more meaningful effect on the way the story is perceived. For example, Steinbeck’s use of animal imagery allows readers to realize the absurdity of the relationship between Juana and Kino. In just the fifth chapter of the novel, it is made apparent that they strictly follow the rules that their culture provides. Kino is made to be the authoritative figure in his family, forcing Juana to live in his shadow, her only duty being to care for her son, Coyotito. Before they discovered the pearl, Kino and Juana were peaceful and content with their simple lives, but sadly once Kino found the pearl, everything changed. He became aggressive and began to care for the pearl and the riches it could get him, more than he cared for his own family. When Juana attempts to rid of the pearl in the middle of the night, Kino follows and physically attacks her, proving that the pearl has changed him forever. “He hissed at her like a snake and Juana stared at him with wide eyes like a sheep before butcher” (Steinbeck 76). Steinbeck compares Kino to a snake, a predator, which makes Juana the prey. Juana is also described as a scared sheep about to be killed, which shows that she has no power in the situation and cannot change it. A few moments after Juana is attacked by her husband, Kino is then attacked by a stranger and Juana ran right to his aid, proving her loyalty to him. There are many other ways that Steinbeck uses animal imagery to influence his novel, but it is best portrayed through Kino and Juana’s relationship.
ReplyDeleteIn response Anna's response, she mentioned how the relationship between Juana and Kino was absurd. However, there is no reason to believe that the relationship was any different than relationships that occur today. Rather, the entire culture is different and it is highly likely that the men are taught only how to act as an authoritative figure and to hunt while the women only are taught skills such as care taking, cooking, and weaving. When the pearl entered, it did not change either Juana or Kino; however, it put pressure on the family that men and women in that culture reacted differently to. In this regard Juana recognized the danger, allowing her to do what culture told her to do- protect the family. Oppositely, Kino never realized the danger and thought that the pearl was the key to his family's future happiness, so he assumed that Juana was an enemy who was betraying the family. This caused the fight which should have been between two dangerous metaphorical animals. However, Kino realized that he was acting as the predator to a blameless sheep rather than another predator, he stopped and became disgusted with himself. Both of these reactions are examples of how a culture that taught men to protect by defeating enemies and women to take care of problems by eliminating the source was one of the few differences between normal
Deletemodern relationships and the one between Kino and Juana
Although Steinbeck’s novella is full of animal imagery, a large portion of it can be found in the first few chapters. One of the most interesting connections I found was that with the scorpion. In the book, Coyotito “laughed and reached up his hand toward it” (Steinbeck 7), while Kino and Juana can simply stand by and do nothing. This scorpion seems to be used in the story for the purpose of telling us that bad things will happen, no matter what kind of help we have, and that evil will inevitably come to do us harm. Another place of imagery is when the parents take their young child to the doctor. When told of the incident, the doctor simply says “ Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for ‘little Indians’? I am a doctor, not a veterinary” (Steinbeck 14). Here the doctor compares Kino and his family to the lowly animals of the world, be it the dogs, snakes, or birds. Another image I found was after Coyotito had been stung. It reads “Kino had it in his fingers, rubbing it to a paste in his hands. He threw it down and beat it into the earth floor with his fist” (Steinbeck 7). Here Steinbeck attempts to show the reader that when someone gets angry enough, we all resort to an animalistic state with only rage fueling us.
ReplyDeleteIn response to what John said about "resorting to an animalistic state with only rage fueling us" can also be seen at the end of the book when Kino was stealthily making his way down the mountain to kill the trackers. He was simply raged that trackers were going to find his family and kill them, so he was going to kill them first, as a predator would do if they are threatened.
DeleteI found the connection you made with the doctor and the 'little Indians' very interesting. He was basically treating Kino's family like animals because of their race. It's shameful this still occurs in our world today. You had good examples, and made good connections.
DeleteSteinbeck used multiple examples of animal imagery throughout his book, The Pearl. An example would be in chapter one, after Coyotito was stung by the scorpion and Juana attempted to suck out all the poison. It states, “She looked up at him, her eyes as cold as the eyes of a lioness” (Steinbeck, 9). This simile represents how determined Juana is to save Coyotito. Like a lioness, she will stop at nothing to protect her young. Another example of animal imagery is when Juana attempts to get rid of the pearl forever. Juana believes that the pearl brings evil to the family and several times tries to convince Kino to destroy it. When Kino sees Juana leaving with the pearl, he follows her to the ocean where he attacks her and knocks her to the ground. “He hissed at her like a snake, and Juana stared at him with wide unfrightened eyes, like a sheep before the butcher” (Steinbeck, 76). The comparison between Kino and the snake shows that he is dangerous and the predator. Juana is compared to a sheep before the butcher. “She knows that there is murder in him, and it was all right; she had accepted it, and she would not resist or even protest” (Steinbeck, 76). Lastly, Kino’s whole race is compared to as animals by the Spanish, who are higher up and richer. “He could kill the doctor more easily than he could talk to him, for all of the doctor’s race spoke to all of Kino’s race as though they were simple animals” (Steinbeck, 12). This comparison shows how little the Spanish think of Kino’s race and the high level of tension that the two groups have with each other. Kino states, “And as always when he came near to one of this race, Kino felt weak and afraid and angry at the same time. Rage and terror went together” (Steinbeck 12).
ReplyDeleteIn Steinbeck’s novel, The Pearl, there were many animal imageries made throughout the entire book. The first imagery that I noticed after looking back was with the ants. On page three to page four it said, “The ants were busy on the ground, big black ones with shiny bodies, and little dusty quick ants. Kino watched with the detachment of God while a dusty ant frantically tried to escape the sand trap an ant lion had dug for him.” This imagery is an example of what life is like for Kino. You have the rich people, the big black shiny ants, and you have the people of Kino, the dusty quick ants. Then, there are the ant lions that make the dusty ants struggle and bring evil into their life, much like how the robbers hurt Kino and brought the music of evil into his life. Another animals imagery I noticed was on page 65 when he was talking with the dealer. Kino was upset that they did not offer him more for his pearl and as the narrator says, “He felt the creeping of fate, the circling of wolves, the hover of vultures.” This imagery is saying that he was feeling surrounded by evil. The wolves and vultures represented the evil of the dealers coming around him and becoming stronger, ready to rip into him.
ReplyDeleteI found that I could agree with one of the examples you mentioned in your response, specifically your mention of the dealers being the vultures and wolves described on page 65, although I did not consider it initially myself. However, I interpreted your example of the ants differently. Although the ant lion could be seen as being representative of the robbers, I believe that it could more accurately represent the pearl dealers, or even the pearl itself. To connect to the text, Kino and his family were peacefully going about their lives in the beginning of the story, before he discovered the pearl. Following his discovery, the pearl pulled Kino down a dark path of fear and anger, culminating with the death of his son, Coyotito. In a similar manner, the ants were peacefully walking along the ground before the ant lion struck, trapping one ant in a hole from which it could not escape.
DeleteSteinbeck used multiple examples of animal imagery to enhance the effect of the meaningful story. He used it to explain feelings such as anger, greediness, love, and unity. First off, Steinbeck used animal imagery to explain anger. "Kino felt the creeping of fate, the circling of wolves, the hover of vulture (Steinbaek 65)." This sentence reveals the anger of Kino. The circling of wolves are the dealers who are the cause of Kino's raging anger. In this case, the rich are the predators and the poor are the prey. Furthermore, Steinbeck displays Kino's greed by comparing him to an animal. "He was an animal now, for hiding, for attacking, and he lived only to preserve himself and his family. (Steinbeck 80)" Animals preserve themselves by doing whatever it takes for their own good. It is a known fact in nature; therefore, the effect of this animal imagery is to display the greediness of Kino. Lastly, Steinbeck displays love and unity through the connection of animals. Throughout the story, the village would gather in Kino's house for every event. Animals do this in their habitats. Steinbeck's effect of this example is to display the unity in their village despite the poverty. Multiple times throughout this novella, the author used animals to create an image and effect on the readers, causing them to create the connection of animals and humans. Animals do not need valuables to remain in a joyful state, and Steinbeck is using his story to show that humans should not either.
ReplyDeleteI agree with almost everything that you said in your response, though I had missed a lot of it. I had not made the connection between Kino's emotion and the animal imagery but definitely agree. Though, I do not quite agree or maybe I just do not thoroughly understand enough you saying that Steinbeck displayed love and unity. Kino’s brush house was burned in the end and there was too much death, greed, and evil for me to have been able to recognize the displays of love and unity. I guess in the beginning there is a unity within the poor village, but between the village and the richer town there was diversity. The people were of different race which in the novel created a sort of tension between people like Kino and the doctor. It was only when Kino appeared to have fortune that the doctor even wanted anything to do with Kino’s Indian family.
DeleteWithin The Pearl, Steinbeck used animal imagery to enhance the mood of the story. Primarily, this was done by imposing an animal onto something else. For example, after Kino hit Juana, she was compared to a sheep before slaughter (Steinbeck 76). The comparison showed that Juana was terrified, as she knew she was going to be in trouble, yet she also knew that trying to struggle was futile. Another way that Steinbeck used animal imagery was to foreshadow. He did this in the case of the wolves and vultures circling, as both are known to be harbingers of death and misfortune (Steinbeck 65). A final use of animals was to add a sense of real danger to the story as shown with the scorpion at the start of the book. Those were a few of the effects that animal imagery had on The Pearl.
ReplyDeleteFROM ALISON:
Deletehappened to have missed the foreshadowing in the story, but as I went back and read again, I found some more examples. To add on, when Kino first finds the pearl, he sees images of nothing but happiness. But, as the story continues, all he sees is dark images. Thus foreshadowing that he has a dark future ahead of him. This is shown when the brush house is burnt down, and their [Kino and Juana] first born child, Coyotito, is killed. It just so happens that I hadn’t analyzed this part of the story quite like you did, but it was easy to see after it was pointed out.
In Steinbeck’s novella, The Pearl, there were many examples of animal imagery throughout the story. Juana, Kino and the other Indians were treated like animals, cheated out of their money, not allowed to attend schools, and looked down upon. Their lives were considered of lesser value, and they were treated unjustly. “’Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for ‘little Indians’? I am a doctor, not a veterinary.’” (Steinbeck 14). Animal symbolism is also shown through the family of Kino and Juana, and how the two parents would stop at nothing to protect their young son, becoming dangerous when he was threatened. “She looked up at him, her eyes as cold as the eyes of a lioness. This was Juana’s first baby-this was nearly everything there was in Juana’s world.” (Steinbeck 9). Steinbeck’s connection between Juana and a lioness shows how she could be gentle and loving, but would be ready to attack anyone at any time if they became a threat to her first born. In addition, the scorpion, the symbol of evil and death; stings Coyotito. The baby shakes the dangerous creature from the rope hanging above his head, seconds before Kino safely killed it. The scorpion represents trials or hardships that we bring upon ourselves, without realizing the consequences of our actions and without utilizing the help available to us. I believe Steinbeck used animal imagery in The Pearl to make his readers feel anger of the mistreatment of the indigenous peoples, while also including other smaller morals into his novella.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the characters themselves serving as animals looked down on has a lot of truth, and I believe the different "songs" presented in the story add more to this conception. With the culture that Kino, Juana, and the others followed, the generations passed these songs down, to the point of engraving them in their minds. In this way, one could consider them to have a less complicated (as well as more animal-like) thought process. The Song of Danger would ring in their ears just seconds after a looming figure appears to their back, just as an animal's thoughts might closely resemble "Big dark figure = Danger = Run". The other quote concerning Coyotito's existence forming Juana's "world" also appears to contain a sort of animal sense. Little matters to a goose crossing the water not pertaining to all the small floating ducklings shadowing her. The idea that Steinbeck compares Juana to a lioness to show her as being deadly is not one that I agree with. She did little throughout the story showing this except from the "loving mother" half. However, putting this aside, you proposed some great interpretations of Steinbeck's work.
DeleteThroughout the novel, it is quite easy to recognize Steinbeck’s affinity for animals and nature. There are examples of this as early as the first page as Steinbeck describes the stars, the morning waves, rooster, small birds, and pigs. His attention to detail in describing Kino’s natural surroundings helps to paint a clear picture in the reader’s mind. The imagery that Steinbeck incorporated into The Pearl creates this valuable effect. Steinbeck also used symbolism and made some comparisons between animals and people. On page 21, he compared a town to a colonial animal saying “ A town has a nervous system and a head and shoulders and feet. A town is a thing separate from all other towns, so that there are no two towns alike. And a town has a whole emotion…” (Steinbeck 21). Also, the pearl throughout the novel is an obvious representation of the evil that power and wealth can bring. On page 25 it says “ For it is said that humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more” (Steinbeck 25). That turned out to be the case with Kino and the pearl; he just felt greed and desired more money than the pearl was worth. Another symbol that can be identified is the scorpion representing evil. Immediately in the book when Coyotito is introduced, it is recognizable that his name resembles “coyote”. In spanish, “coyotito” translates to “little coyote”. The connection that can be made to this is the fact that Coyotito’s death was the result of a gunshot to his head by a man who believed the baby’s cry could’ve been a sound let out by a coyote. There is an generous usage of animal imagery in The Pearl which seems to be a very important tool that Steinbeck utilized and valued in the creation of his works.
ReplyDeleteIn John Steinbeck's The Pearl, animal imagery is strongly used throughout the book. It paints an image in your head and gives you a more insight of the story. One example I particularly noticed is when the author compared Kino to a slow lizard as he was heading towards the men at the bottom of the mountain, "Kino edged like a slow lizard down the smooth rock shoulder," (Steinbeck 84). He uses many examples where he has compared animals to Kino and his family as they adventure through the cold-hearted forest. Another example is how Juana peered like an owl from the hole in the mountain (Steinbeck 84). There were a lot of connections made and gave the story more thorough and vivid details. I also believe it illustrates foreshadowing and symbolism. In conclusion, animal imagery is used in many different ways in The Pearl.
ReplyDeleteThroughout Steinbeck’s novella The Pearl, there are several meaningful examples of animal imagery. Among the first of these occurs on pages 6 and 7, when the scorpion stings Coyotito.On page 7, it is mentioned that “at that moment the laughing Coyotito shook the rope and the scorpion fell.” After the scorpion falls, Kino is unable to catch it, and it falls on the child’s shoulder and stings him; meanwhile, the boy’s parents are helpless to intervene. The nature of these events can be seen as being representative of the inevitable presence of evil in our lives, as bad things often happen regardless of our attempts to control our lives and those of people around us. In addition, this same inevitability is shown later in the text when he is shot by the trackers, despite Kino’s numerous attempts to keep him safe. A second instance where animal imagery plays a prominent role within the story is on page 76, where Kino bared his teeth at Juana and “hissed at her like a snake, and Juana stared at him with wide unfrightened eyes, like a sheep before the butcher.” The use of animals to describe the protagonists emphasizes the raw fury Kino displays when his wife tries to discard the pearl. This sequence further demonstrates the effect the pearl has on Kino, as he is willing to go so far as to strike and intimidate his own wife in order to retain it.
ReplyDeleteAnother prominent example of animal imagery occurs later in the novella, relating to Kino’s perception of the animals around him. On page 71, the author states that “His senses were burningly alive, but his mind went back to the deep participation with all things, the gift he had from his people. He heard every little sound of the gathering night, the sleepy complaint of settling birds, the love agony of cats, the strike and withdrawal of little waves on the beach, and the simple hiss of distance.” In this section, the reader likely visualizes calm and peaceful animals, showing Kino's deep connection to nature. However, later in the text, on page 91, it is stated that “the evils of the night were about them. The coyotes cried and laughed in the brush, and the owls screeched and hissed over their heads. And once some large animal lumbered away, crackling the undergrowth as it went.” Earlier, the animals are described as being calm and peaceful, but on page 91, they are portrayed as being dark and threatening. This progression could be seen as mirroring Kino’s shift in demeanor following his discovery of the pearl, from calm and tranquil in the first few pages to tense and angry at the novella’s conclusion.
examples of animal imagery and why is imagery
ReplyDelete