The Pearl
Study Guide
Essay Test Prompts for Monday, November 12, 2012
Listed below are the three possible prompts for Monday’s Essay Test
over The Pearl. Each essay will need to develop the answer in a well
written, well- developed paragraph. The following requirements will
need to be present in the essay answer to receive full credit: Content
vocabulary, a minimum of two textual examples that are evidence of
your stand, and an eighth grade writing level that fully develops the
answer to the prompt.
1. The ending of The Pearl is tragic. But who is to blame for the
tragedy? Is it the trackers, the pearl buyers, the pearl itself, the
townspeople, Kino, Juana, or even a combination of the above?
After choosing who is to blame, come up with three basic reasons
as to why your choice is to blame.
2. What role does family play in The Pearl? How does the loyalty of
Kino’s family members (especially Juana and Juan Tomás) affect
his actions? Was Juana correct to be so loyal to him?
3. What various things does the Pearl symbolize? What does it mean
to Kino at different stages of the novel? Why did the symbolism of
the Pearl change?