The Implications of Social Divisions in The Pearl by John Steinbeck

EPQ GUIDANCE

Through the research process for the extended essay, students develop skills in:
• formulating an appropriate research question
• engaging in a personal exploration of the topic
• communicating ideas
• developing an argument.
• analyse, synthesize and evaluate knowledge.
The EPQ is a mini-thesis.
For the EPQ, you choose a research question as a topic, conduct the research independently, then write an essay over your findings. The essay itself is a long one—while there’s a cap of 4,000 words, most successful essays get very close to this limit. Keep in mind that requires this essay to be a “formal piece of academic writing,” which means you’ll have to do outside research and cite additional sources, too.
The EPQ must include:
• A title page
• Contents page
• Introduction
• Body of the essay
• Conclusion
• References and bibliography
• Be no more than 4,000 words
It must be structured. It needs a clear introduction (which should be 1-2 pages double-spaced), research question/focus (i.e. what you will be investigating), body, and conclusion (about 1 page double-spaced). An essay that has unclear or poor organization will be graded poorly.
• The body of the EPQ should make up the bulk of the essay. It should be about 8-18 pages double-spaced (again depending on your topic). Your body can be split into multiple parts.
EPQs are graded on five criteria, each with its own set of points.
• Criterion A: Focus and method (6 points maximum)
• Criterion B: Knowledge and understanding (6 points maximum)
• Criterion C: Critical Thinking (12 points maximum)
• Criterion D: Presentation (4 points maximum)
• Criterion E: Engagement (6 points maximum)
So far the introduction has been started and is 900+ words.
I have listed various themes to be developed all of which need to link to thesis title. “The Implications of Social Divisions in The Pearl”

THEMES TO DEVELOP, RESEARCH AND WRITE ABOUT ARE:

1. Colonisation: Fears, psychological impacts and social implications of indigenous people. 500 words

2. Destruction of culture through colonisation. 500 words

3. Traditions and social implications of colonisation. 500 words

4. Feelings of the individual, eg shame, subjected to colonisation. 500 words

5. Education and colonisation. 500 words

6. Conclusion. 500 words

 
The Implications of Social Divisions in The Pearl

Many of the poor countries today are often countries that have been colonized. Arguably, colonization over the last five hundred years by European countries on regents like South America have created in those countries a sharp division not only in wealth but also in opportunity and on an individual level self esteem. This is clearly seen in South American countries today where the indigenous peoples are marginalized in all areas of life. This sidelining has led to serious problems with regards to education, health and the way these people perceive themselves . By looking at South American governments today it is clear from there makeup, white and male that the European colonization maintains a power structure in which European descendants, white people still maintain power and control.

In The Pearl By John Steinback his focus is very much on the social divisions created by colonization. He juxtaposes traditions, hopes and dreams of two sets of people: the indigenous and the colonizers. Despite the colonizers arriving over four hundred years ago they still consider themselves superior to the original inhabitants, and in many respects have never really fully assimilated or integrated into those societies. The most striking division in The Pearl is that of the doctor and Kino and his family.

These represent the differences, or the divisions within that society. There is very much a situation where there are people who have things and people who don’t, and these things are in many respects basic human needs such as health care. What Steinback does is he explores the damage that these divisions bring not only on a psychological level but also on a physical level. In this respect though his work focuses on a small South American society it is universal in nature in that most societies are plighted to some degree by such divisions. By looking at the differences between the haves and the have nots I explore why such social divisions are detrimental to not only societies but to those individuals within them.

What Steinbeck does in the opening chapter describes the primitive conditions that Kino and his family are expected to live. From the first paragraph he explains they live in a “brush house” which immediately helps visualize what the conditions are. They are poor, they live by the sea and clearly live in a state of poverty. Coyotito who is their only child sleeps in a hanging box. Again, another indication of their poverty and as seen later in the opening chapters, the box is hanging rather than on the floor, as they fear snakes and/or insects climbing in and poisoning the air smells very dank. They have to cook inside their small shack, in a fire pit, their only source of heat and light which is another danger to Coyoito as “a blanket has to cover his nose to protect him from the dank air.” Their diet is also poor. They eat mainly corn cake, with few nutrients, a diet that their people had been eating for thousands of years. Around the fire pit in which Juana, Kino’s wife, prepares the corn cakes, that shack is infested with ants and moths. Despite these living conditions, Kino describes the corn cakes as having a “rich smell” and being grateful for what he has – a lovely wife and a beautiful son.

Conversely, the living conditions for the European is vastly superior to that of Kino’s family. The poor brush houses of the indigenous are divided from the rich “red-brick houses” and towns of “brick walls and plaster,” where conditions are luxurious. There are “secret gardens” with “caged birds” and wealth. In a state of distress with his sick child, Kino arries him passed “gardens” and “plazas” to get to the doctor’s house with the “big gate” with its “iron-ringed knocker.” Kino and all of his “race” are intimidated feeling he isn’t deserving of being there. From the doctor’s house he smells “fried bacon,” so different from corncakes. For generations, Kino’s “race” has been oppressed and must show humility which makes him “afraid” and “angry.” He is afraid of what is to come, will his child die, will he be rejected. The doctor is behind the gate with its gardens of “green coolness” and “splashing fountains,” extravagant conditions that makes Kino feel unworthy. The gate is closed to the doctor’s house, the servant refuses to let them in, a real divide Kino would never have tried to bridge ghad his child not been near death. Ironically, the servant is of Kino’s race and “refuses to speak in the old language.” The doctor is unconcerned, in his “chamber” with a “high bed” and a “dressing gown from France” alongside a “silver tray and silver chocolate pot” and a tiny cup of “egg shell China”. The doctor is well fed and this is shown by what he eats. Even though he has all of this he is longing to be in France. He isn’t really happy where he is. He talks extremely disrespectful about Kino to the servant, saying, “have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for ‘little Indians’” rejecting Kino and putting his son’s life in danger.

Kino had many fears, that develops throughout the book. (THESE FEARS CREATED BY COLONIZATION). When Coyotito got bit he starts getting a lot of fears. The first one being what would happen to his son. We know this as the song of the evil comes. Kino was scared of the doctor as of what has happened to the past for Kinos race. When going to the doctor he felt sunken in his heart and angry but he held it in as to support Coyotito. The doctor race had made kinos race very frightened. Kino had to control fear which included anger as well.

[to here 964 words]

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THEMES TO DEVELOP, RESEARCH AND WRITE ABOUT ARE:

1. Colonisation: Fears, psychological impacts and social implications of indigenous people. 500 words

After he saw the doctor everyone was watching him and he felt publicly shamed. When he finds the pearl again more fears arise. He is afraid of doing something without knowing as he is uneducated which is why he is so sure of wanting to get Coyotito educated. He felt alone and unprotected he held the pearl tight. He was always afraid of his surroundings around him. He was scared. Juana asked who he feared and he said everyone. He told his brother “he feared starvation and education for his son”. What would happen to Coyotito? He got afraid of his own talking. He was afraid of the future as he has been saying what he wanted the future to be and he felt fear that it wasn’t going to happen.

‘Song of the enemy when became suspicious afraid of the song of the enemy’

As he was uneducated he was scared of many things not knowing what was right.

4. He was hesitant of the doctor as the doctor was of a race that for 400 years had starved, robbed and despised Kino’s race and frightened it too. Kink was weak and afraid as well as rage and terror. The doctors race spoke to Kino’s race as if they were simple animals. Kino had to control his feelings before knocking at the doctor’s door. (pages 13 and 14) 12. When the doctor came to his house, he felt fear cut deep in him due to the hundreds of years of persecution by people like the doctor (page 33)

When any occupying force dominates the people of that Country conduct their lives in fear. As previously mentioned this is done deliberately to suppress this people and ensure they are no threat to the occupying force. They are kept in poverty and in ignorance as Steinbeck shows in the novel. The mixing of the two cultures is rare and so has very damaging implications to kino and his people. Above all they must live their lives in fear which again is the objective of the occupying force.

Kino had many fears, that develops throughout the book. When coyotito get bit he starts getting a lot of fears. The first one being what would happen to his sonm. We know this as the song of the evil comes. Kino was scared of the doctor as of what has happened to the past for Kinos race. When going to the doctor he felt sunken in his heart and angry but he held it in as to support Coyotito. The doctor race had made kinos race very frightened and he wasn’t spoken well. Kino had to control fear which included anger as well. He still managed to have the strength to go their. After he saw the doctor everyone was watching him and he felt publicly shamed. He . When he finds the pehel more fears come. He is afraid of doing something without knowing. He feels uneducated which is why he is so sure of wanting to get Coyotito educated. He felt alone and unprotected he held the pearl tight. He was always afraid of his surroundings around him. He was scared. Juana asked who he feared and he said everyone. He told his brother he feared starvation and education for his son. What would happen to Coyotito? He got afraid of his own talking. He was afraid of the future as he has been saying what he wanted the future to be and he felt fear that it wasn’t going to happen.

Fears are result of indigneous people like Kino being conditioned to be subservient to the Colonizers.

Impact on the Americas

Put in own words

Outside sources

Mixture of the book and outside resources

If taken from book reference it

Research on colonization and fear factor

Read chapters on the fears / and psyhocological aspects of Kinos poverty.

The fears, anger, impossible to escape poverty, being idigenous,

2. Destruction of culture through colonisation. 500 words

There is a clear divide between the way Kino views the World and the way the doctor and the colonizers see the World which is in effect a clash of cultures. Kino is chasing the simple things in life for example family life, where ass the colonizers like the Doctor chase wealth.

Effects on colonization on indigenous people

What was the effect of colonization on South Americans in this case

3. Traditions and social implications of colonisation. 500 words

Topic sentence for paragraphs – expand on research and some of own ideas

2. Song of Evil came to him (page 8)
Most important to Kino and his people are long held traditions one of these traditions is singing. His people sing for all occasions such as Death, the birth of a child and during moment of good and bad fortune. Steinbeck uses Kinos song as a manner of describing his feelings, however it is clear that once the colonizers have fully settled the songs of the indigenous population seem primitive.
(clash of two cultures)

It also talks about the family song and how the rhythm of the family song came from Juana “ who worked the corn for the morning cakes”. This shows that even though it is hard for them they still can find happiness within what they have.

4. Feelings of the individual, eg shame, subjected to colonisation. 500 words

Kino felt he was publicly shamed by the way the doctor treated him. He hit the gate hard with his fist in anger and shame (page 16)

Steinbeck examines the feeling of the individual through Kino. For him and his culture he should be dominant and be able to provide everything for his family and keep them safe. This is not the case for Kino and when he has to deal with the Doctor we see how he feels about himself and the deep shame he experiences.

Research colonization and Shame
He is examining these themes

Always go back to title

5. Education and colonisation. 500 words

6. Conclusion. 500 words

 

BUCKET OF POINTS FROM BOOK ON FEARS

6. Kino became every man’s enemy (page 27)

7. When he had found the pearl he had grand ideas of things he wanted – rifle, to marry in a church, to wear new clothes, to dress Coyotito in a blue sailor suit, and for Coyotito to be educated. Then Kino got afraid of his talking (page 29)

8. He was afraid of saying he will do something without knowing (page 30)
He find education he felt helpless and evil behind when the dealer came to try and sell the pearl. He was afraid of strangers and strange places, a fear of not being in the same place.

9. He became afraid of whoever had brought the song of the enemy, of evil into his house. He was suspicious (page 31/32)

10. Kino felt alone and unprotected. He felt the evil around him. He carried the pearl with him tightly closed in his palm. He felt afraid of the future, by saying what it would be like, he had created it and the plan had become real and could be attacked and destroyed. And he felt he had to prepare to meet the attack. He was afraid of the gods who he thought don’t love men’s plans and don’t love men’s success unless it comes by accident. He knew the gods take revenge on a man if he is successful through his own efforts.(page 32/33).

11. Kino was afraid of plans. He looked around for the dangers (page 33)

13. The doctor told him Coyotito may not be well even if he looked like he was recovering. Kino felt his hatred and rage melt toward fear. (Page 33)

14. Kino was afraid due to his ignorance and lack of education. The doctor knew things that he didn’t. He was not educated and this made him trapped. (Page 34)

15. Kino was scared the doctor may be right about the baby and so he felt he had no choice but to let the doctor give his son medicine (page 34)
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16. Kino was scared what would happen to the baby after he had had the medicine. (Page 35)

17. Kino hid the pearl in a rag in a hole in the dirt floor as he was scared it would get stolen (page 35)

18. Juana asked him who he feared and he said everyone and he felt a shell of hardness draw over him. So he started to withdraw from people to protect himself and the pearl (Page 50).

19.H Kino was afraid when someone came to his house at night to steal the pearl. It was a wild fear followed by rage. (Page 51)

20. At the dealers when he went to have the pearl valued, the dealer tried to trick him. Kino felt fear as he wasn’t educated enough to know what was right. He felt evil around him. He felt helpless. (Page 67)

21. At his house he was afraid. He was afraid of strangers and of strange places like the capital where he may need to go to get the pearl valued. It was far away over the mountains and water. Over a thousand miles. (Page 71)

22. Kino said to his brother he only feared starvation. He also wanted his son to have a chance. He was afraid if he didn’t get this. (Page 72)

23. He was again scared of the evil, it was shadowy and dreadful, threatened and challenged him (Page 74)
 
CITATIONS

https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/158284209.pdf

https://www.shmoop.com/cultural-studies/the-pearl-analysis.html