The way Steinbeck discusses music in The Pearl allows readers to believe that there is almost a "soundtrack" to this story. If you imagine any movie you've watched and pay attention to the background music, or score, you'll realize that when things are going well the music tends to be light and happy. However, when something horrible is about to happen the music turns ominous and suspenseful.
In The Pearl, readers are introduced to...
The way Steinbeck discusses music in The Pearl allows readers to believe that there is almost a "soundtrack" to this story. If you imagine any movie you've watched and pay attention to the background music, or score, you'll realize that when things are going well the music tends to be light and happy. However, when something horrible is about to happen the music turns ominous and suspenseful.
In The Pearl, readers are introduced to the songs in Kino's head at the beginning of the story. These songs are always there, passed down from generation to generation and creating what Kino refers to as the "whole." Every piece of his day is a piece of his song.
The first song that is mentioned by name is the "Song of the Family." This is the tune he hears in his head as his wife is cooking breakfast, as waves lap gently on the shoreline, and as his baby sleeps. It indicates his happy and peaceful life and connects him to his ancestors.
Later he hears "The Song of Evil" which starts when he realizes that there is an immediate threat to his child's life. It indicates danger and anything that might be a threat to his family's welfare. When he identifies this danger as a specific threat (the scorpion), the song turns even more telling, "The Song of the Enemy." When he hears this song, it is about something that must be immediately destroyed.
Kino also hears these songs later in the novella when he is threatened yet again. You can see the summary of the story
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