THE PEARL CHAPTER 6: DEATH AND RUN

THE PEARL BY JOHN STEINBECK

CHAPTER 6: DEATH AND RETURN


1. The Flight
• Kino and Juana make their way out of the village and turn to the north
• Kino becomes aware of the animal instinct growing stronger in himself which makes him cautious, wary and dangerous

• Away from the town, they take the road and walk all night, conscious of evil and danger. They stopped at a clearing concealed from the road
• Kino and Juana take turns to sleep, always alert and on guard. Evil is near.
• On surveying the road, he sees travelers coming, two on horseback and one on foot.
• Kino knows the skill of these men.
• They are professional hitmen sent to track Kino like a hunted animal.
• He watches tensely as the hunters approach, examine the road and pass on
• He knows they will return and search until they find the trail again
• Kino is determined to flee to the mountain but he has to pass the desert
• Kino tries to persuade Juana to hide with the baby and lead the trackers into the mountain.
• She refuses.
• They head for the cleft in the mountains
• They find a small spring of fresh, clean cold water
• He scans the distance and sees the trackers far away but not too far to catch up by evening
• He finds a shallow cave to put Juana and Coyotito and blazes a false trail up the side of the mountain
• He hopes to return to the lowlands after the trackers following the false trail had passed the cave


2. Night Falls
• The trackers arrive at the stream at nightfall
• They stop to rest and plan to stay till morning
• Kino decides to attack the trackers. If killed, Juana will hide and escape to another town
• Juana prays to ward off evil


3. Kino Launches His Attack
• Kino crawls down the mountain
• He is quiet and careful
• Near the trackers, he attacks the first one
• A cry is heard. One attacker shoots at it
• Kino leaps and kills him

• The third man tries to escape but is shot dead
• Juana’s moaning screams are heard


4. The Return To La Paz
• Kino and Juana return, heavy-hearted, to La Paz
• Kino carries a rifle on his arms
• Juana carries a bloody sack on her shoulders
• Kino is stone faced, dangerous
• No one dares to speak or touch them
• Robot-like, they walk through town
• The Song of the Family is a battle-cry and he is immune and terrible
• At the beach, Kino looks at the pearl and sees all the evil it brought
• He hears the insane music of the pearl
• Kino offers the pearl to Juana to throw into the sea
• She asks him to do it
• He hurls it with all his might
• It sinks, covered by drifting sand
• The music of the pearl sinks and disappears