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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. How does Kino react to Juana's moving the pearl?

2. How many men are tracking the Kino and his family after they run away?

3. When does Kino hear the trackers coming towards him and his family in Chapter 6?

4. What do Kino and Juana do when they walk back into town at the end of the novel?

5. Where does Kino suggest going once he and his family are in the mountains?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happens to the gold coin of the pearl buyer when Kino enters the room in Chapter 4?

2. Describe the man and trackers as they rest for the night.

3. When Kino says, "I am a man" to Juana, what does that mean to her?

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

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

6. What happened before when the pearl buyers got together and tried to have a pearl representative take their goods to the capital?

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

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

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Ignorance is an unfortunate partner to racism in this novel. How does ignorance play an important role in how Kino reacts to his environment?

1.) How does Kino react when the priest mentions knowledge from the book? What is his solution?

2.) Why is Juana's seaweed poultice not seen as a valid treatment for Coyotito?

3.) Why does Kino want Coyotito to go to school?

Essay Topic 2

Although they rarely speak, music plays an integral role in the novel. Describe its impact on different dramatic scenes within the novel.

1.) When does Kino hear certain songs and why? What triggers these songs to start in his mind?

2.) How does Juana mix the ancient songs with the modern religion of Catholicism in her mind? Why is this significant?

Essay Topic 3

One of Kino's dreams is to own a rifle. After he says this, the villagers react in awe and even Juana is amazed at his bravery. Why is this dream of owning a rifle an ironic wish once the end of the story is over? What does the rifle symbolize to Kino and the villagers and what role does it ultimately represent in the novel?

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