The Pearl: Building a Background
John Steinbeck
Getting to Know: JohnSteinbeck
American NovelistWrote Of Mice and MenBorn in Salinas, California on February 27,
1902Was fascinated with marine life and spent a
great deal of time at Monterey Bay, CaliforniaLoved vacationing at the beach in MexicoWrote mostly about common people down on
their luck
The Baja Peninsula: Key Facts
Located in Northwestern MexicoPeninsula-a piece of land that juts out into the
water and is surrounded by water on three sides
Separates the Pacific Ocean from the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez)
Climate: The north is tropical and the south is hot and dry
The primary language spoken is SpanishEnglish is commonly spoken as well
Indigenous Culture
“Indigenous” is defined at m-w.com as “produced, growing, living, or occurring naturally in a particular region or environment.
Therefore, to be part of an indigenous culture means to be native to a land or region, especially before intrusion of foreign culture.
Scorpions
Have eight legsTwo grasping clawsCurved tail w/ venomous stinger at the end Found on every continent but Antarctica
More Scorpion Facts
Scorpions live mostly in warm habitatsNocturnalPredatory creaturesAmbush prey (insects, spiders, mice, snakes,
etc.) with claws and immobilize them with their poisonous tail if needed
Fast-acting venom used to hunt and defend
Effects of Scorpion Sting
Swelling and pain at puncture wound
Sweating, Vomiting, Shock, Death
Treatment=antiserum from doctor
How are Pearls Formed?
A grain of sand slips into the oysterThis foreign object irritates the flesh of the
oysterIn its defense, the oyster releases a cement-
like substance that covers this foreign objectResult? A Pearl
OYSTER
Diagram of Oyster
Oyster with Pearl
OYSTERs ready to eat
Pearl Diving in Mexico
Two types of oysters that form pearls are indigenous to Mexico
Mexico was once the leading country in pearl diving
Free-divers dove to depths over 100 feet on a single breath
Pearls were initially found by bringing up tons of oysters in the hopes of finding a handful of pearls
Very dangerous job: drowning and dangerous animals
Pearl Diver
Natural Pearls
Pearls formed in the wild are extremely RARE and therefore EXPENSIVE. Many fisherman on the Baja Peninsula made a living fishing and diving for pearls.
Pre-Revolution Post-RevolutionMexico Mexico
Ancient Mexico=Peace and Harmony
Simple, tranquil way of life
However, the Aztec Indians were treated as inferiors and were poor
Wealth lived in hands of few Spaniards
Despite previous oppression of the indigenous culture, a great civilization has been built and will continue to grow.
Mexican people can fuse these two cultures, Indian and Spanish, together.
THE END