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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What animal are the trackers using to track Kino and his family in Chapter 6?

2. What does Juana plead for after Kino is attacked in Chapter 4?

3. Where do Kino and Juana avoid as they walk out of town in Chapter 6?

4. What does Juana gives Coyotito to keep him quiet when the trackers go by?

5. In Chapter 4, where does Kino threaten to go to get a better price on his pearl?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Kino do when the dark figure attacks him on the path back home in Chapter 5?

2. What motivation do the pearl buyers have to purchase the great pearl at a low price?

3. Why does Juana try to destroy the pearl after their failed attempt at selling it?

4. What do the neighbors fear will happen to Kino after finding the giant pearl?

5. Describe the place where Juana and Kino spend the day in Chapter 6 while they are on the run.

6. Why do all the divers leave their canoes on the beach the morning after Kino's big pearl find?

7. What happens to Kino's home while he is being attacked by the dark figure in Chapter 5?

8. What do Juan Tomas and Kino talk about on the way to sell the pearl?

9. What is Kino's plan of attack if the trackers do not pass his family on the road?

10. Where does Kino hope to lose the trackers? Why?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

For the villagers, they trust things of the spirit and things of the imagination before they will trust their own eyes. Describe how this overall belief is shown in the villagers' actions, Juana's actions and the way they react to their situation.

1.) What specifically do the villagers believe in, in terms of God, creation, and the afterlife?

2.) In what ways are religions and beliefs integrated into one another?

Essay Topic 2

Initially in the novel, Kino finds his sense of security and hope in his family, his hut, and his canoe. How is his sense of security and comfort redefined after he finds the pearl?

1.) How does the pearl change Kino's dreams for his family?

2.) How does the pearl change his relationship with his family, especially with Juana who was previously a huge source of comfort to him?

Essay Topic 3

Race is an important theme throughout the novel. Discuss how race is shown and how this tension causes problems for Kino and his family.

1.) How would a less-biased response from the doctor or his servant at the gate affected the rest of the story? Would the outcome be different if the doctor had treated Coyotito from his scorpion bite initially? Why or why not?

2.) How do the pearl buyers represent the oppression that a biased social structure brings to the community? How do they work against the divers and prevent a fair deal?

3.) How does this racial situation affect Kino's response to the dead man he stabbed?

(see the answer keys)

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