AQA Paper 1A The PEARL Extract and Qs MLy

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The Pearl, by John Steinbeck (1947)

In the extract below, set in Mexico during the 1940s, a child


named Coyotito has been stung by a scorpion. The child’s father,
a Mexican pearl diver named Kino, takes his child to the white
European doctor who works in a nearby town.

The scurrying crowd came at last to the big gate in the wall of the doctor's house.
They could hear the splashing water and the singing of caged birds and the
sweep of the long brooms on the flagstones. And they could smell the frying of
good bacon from the doctor's house.

Kino hesitated a moment. This doctor was not of his people. This doctor was of a 5
race which for nearly four hundred years had beaten and starved and robbed and
despised Kino's race, and frightened it too, so that Kino came humbly to the door.
And as always when he came near to one of this race, Kino felt weak and afraid
and angry at the same time. Rage and terror went together. He could kill the
doctor more easily than he could talk to him, for all of the doctor's race spoke to 10
all of Kino's race as though they were simple animals. And as Kino raised his
right hand to the iron ring knocker in the gate, rage swelled in him, and the
pounding music of the enemy beat in his ears, and his lips drew tight against his
teeth—but with his left hand he reached to take off his hat. The iron ring pounded
against the gate. Kino took off his hat and stood waiting. Coyotito moaned a little 15
in Juana's arms, and she spoke softly to him. The procession crowded close the
better to see and hear.

After a moment the big gate opened a few inches. Kino could see the green
coolness of the garden and little splashing fountain through the opening. The 20
man who looked out at him was one of his own race. Kino spoke to him in the old
language. ''The little one—my first born—has been poisoned by the scorpion,''
Kino said. ''He requires the skill of the healer.''

The gate closed a little, and the servant refused to speak in the old language. ''A
little moment,'' he said. ''I go to inform myself,'' and he closed the gate and slid 25
the bolt home. The glaring sun threw the bunched shadows of the people blackly
on the white wall.

In his chamber the doctor sat up in his high bed. He had on his dressing gown
of red watered silk that had come from Paris, a little tight over the chest now if it
was buttoned. On his lap was a silver tray with a silver chocolate pot and a tiny 30
cup of eggshell china, so delicate that it looked silly when he lifted it with his big
hand, lifted it with the tips of thumb and forefinger and spread the other three
fingers wide to get them out of the way. His eyes rested in puffy little hammocks
of flesh and his mouth drooped with discontent. He was growing very stout, and
his voice was hoarse with the fat that pressed on his throat. Beside him on a 35
table was a small Oriental gong and a bowl of cigarettes. The furnishings of the
room were heavy and dark and gloomy. The pictures were religious, even the
large tinted photograph of his dead wife, who, if Masses willed and paid for out of
her own estate could do it, was in Heaven. The doctor had once for a short time
been a part of the great world and his whole subsequent life was memory and 40
longing for France. ''That,'' he said, ''was civilized living''—by which he meant
that on a small income he had been able to keep a mistress and eat in restaurants.
He poured his second cup of chocolate and crumbled a sweet biscuit in his
fingers. The servant from the gate came to the open door and stood waiting to be
noticed. 45

''Yes?'' the doctor asked.

''It is a little Indian with a baby. He says a scorpion stung it.''

The doctor put his cup down gently before he let his anger rise.

''Have I nothing better to do than cure insect bites for 'little Indians'? I am a
doctor, not a veterinary surgeon.'' 50

''Yes, Master,'' said the servant.

''Has he any money?'' the doctor demanded. ''No, they never have any money. I,
I alone in the world am supposed to work for nothing—and I am tired of it. See if
he has any money!''

At the gate the servant opened the door a trifle and looked out at the waiting 55
people. And this time he spoke in the old language. ''Have you money to pay for
the treatment?''

Now Kino reached into a secret place somewhere under his blanket. He brought
out a paper folded many times. Crease by crease he unfolded it, until at last there
came to view eight small misshapen seed pearls, as ugly and grey as little ulcers, 60
flattened and almost valueless. The servant took the paper and closed the gate
again, but this time he was not gone long. He opened the gate just wide enough
to pass the paper back. ''The doctor has gone out,'' he said. ''He was called to a
serious case.'' And then he shut the gate quickly, out of shame.

For a long time Kino stood in front of the gate with his wife beside him. Slowly he 65
put his hat on his head. Then, without warning, he struck the gate a crushing
blow with his fist. He looked down in wonder at his split knuckles and at the blood
that flowed down between his fingers.
Q1: Read again lines 1 to 4.
List four details given about the doctor’s house. [4 marks]

A. ___________________________________

B. ___________________________________

C. ___________________________________

D. ___________________________________

Q2: Read again lines 28 to 45.


How does the writer use language here to suggest the doctor is a wealthy, greedy man?

You could write about:

 Interesting words and phrases


 Language features and techniques
 Sentence forms [8 marks]

Q3: Now think about the whole of the source.


How has the writer structured the extract to interest you as a reader?

You could write about:

 What the writer focuses our attention on at the beginning


 How and why this focus changes as the extract develops
 Any other structural features that interest you [8 marks]

Q4: Focus this part of your answer from line 28 to the end of the extract.
A student said: “I like the way the writer develops our sympathy for Kino and his child.”

To what extent do you agree?

In your response, you should write about:

 Your impressions of the doctor


 Evaluate how the writer develops these impressions
 Support your opinions with quotations from the text [20 marks]

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