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The Daily Insight

Why does Kino punch Juana

Author

Emily Dawson

Published Feb 23, 2026

What does Kino do? Juana went to the fireplace to retrieve the pearl and ran to the shore to throw the pearl back into the water. She does this as she believes that the pearl is evil and will damage their lives. In response to this, Kino grabs the pearl from Juana and punches her.

What did Kino do to Juana?

Kino stealthily follows her as she heads toward the shore. When she hears him in pursuit, Juana breaks into a run, but Kino apprehends her just as she is preparing to hurl the pearl into the water. Grabbing the pearl from her, he punches her in the face and kicks her in the side when she falls down.

Why does Kino decide to attack his pursuers?

Why does Kino decide to attack his pursuers? He is afraid that in the morning the family may be found and killed. He is able to see their position in the moonlight. In the midst of his perilous journey, Kino looks into the pearl for “his vision.” But the pearl reflects only nightmares.

Who does Kino kill in the pearl?

He attacks the tracker, who tries to shoot him with the rifle but misses. Kino kills all three in a frenzy. However, he soon discovers that the random shot fired by the trackers has hit and killed Coyotito. Heartbroken, Juana and Kino return to La Paz.

Why did Kino give Juana the pearl to throw away?

Kino tells the doctor that he will pay him once he has sold his pearl. The neighbors tell the doctor that Kino has found the Pearl of the World and will be a rich man. … Juana tells Kino that the pearl is evil and will destroy them. She tells him to throw it away or break it, for it will destroy them.

Do you think Kino is responsible for Coyotito's death?

9. Is Kino responsible for Coyotito’s death? Why or why not? He isn’t responsible because Cotyotito cried out from the cave which alerted the guards when Kino didn’t make a sound.

What do Kino and Juana do with the pearl?

Kino and Juana go straight to the Gulf, where Kino gives her the pearl to throw away. This time, Juana returns it to Kino knowing that he alone must decide what to do with the pearl. He draws back his arm and flings the pearl with all his might. Finally, it settles to the bottom of the ocean.

How does Juan Tomas help Kino and Juana?

Juan Tomás gathers supplies for Kino and advises him to avoid the shore. Again, Juan Tomás asks him if he will get rid of the pearl, but Kino says no. ‘Go with God,’ he said.

What happens as Juana and Kino sleep?

In a fit of precaution, he digs up the pearl and reburies it beneath his sleeping mat. Finally, Kino, Juana, and Coyotito curl up together on the mat and attempt to sleep peacefully. … He wakes and hears an intruder in the house, cowering and scratching in the corner, clearly in search of the pearl.

Is the Pearl evil?

And because they were in some way one thing and one purpose, she smiled with him. The pearl is neither evil nor good. It is simply what the characters choose to see. That Kino senses evil by hearing a song is a suggestion that he’s operating on intuition, not on conscious thought.

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What does Juana say in the Pearl?

Let us destroy it before it destroys us. Let us crush it between two stones. Let us—let us throw it back in the sea where it belongs. Kino, it is evil, it is evil!

Who is Juana in the Pearl?

Juana is a strong, compatible, loving wife to Kino. They enjoy their life together with their son, Coyotito. She demands nothing more, until Coyotito is stung by a scorpion and needs to see a doctor. Using prayers and black magic, Juana summons Kino to find the pearl.

What happens when Kino tries to attack?

What happens when Kino tries to attack? Provide an example of animal imagery used in this chapter. Right before Kino lunges toward the trackers, they hear Coyotito and shoot him. Then Kino rages and kills all of the trackers.

Who is killed in the commotion that follows Kino attacking the trackers?

The watchman decides to silence the wailer by shooting in the direction of the cry. Unbeknownst to Kino, the bullet hits and kills Coyotito. As the watchman shoots, Kino springs upon the trackers, stabbing the watchman and seizing the rifle.

What action do Kino and Juana take at the end of the story why?

What action do Kino and Juana take at the end of this story? Why? They throw the pearl back into the sea because he felt guilt by what the pearl had represented. The pearl had turned him into an animal.

Why does Kino become every man's enemy?

In what sense did Kino become “every man’s enemy”? He becomes everyman’s enemy in the sense that every man wants to be like Kino. Every man wants to have the pearl and become lucky and rich just like Kino so they all despise Kino because of this. … He says that he will pay the doctor after the pearl is sold.

Is Juana a girl in the pearl?

Juana’s main function is that of Kino’s wife. As a member of a primitive race, the woman is the helpmate of the man. She prepares Kino’s breakfast for him while he sits outside the brush house, and she attends to Coyotito’s needs at the same time.

How did Coyotito death affect Kino and Juana?

Once the trackers are dead, Kino is free to continue to the city to sell his pearl, but Coyotito’s death has stripped Kino of the motive for his struggle. Kino and Juana intended the pearl to facilitate the future they have dreamed of for their son, but the pearl’s value is lost once Coyotito dies.

How many people died in the pearl book?

The attack killed 2,403 U.S. personnel, including 68 civilians, and destroyed or damaged 19 U.S. Navy ships, including 8 battleships.

What happens to Kino and Juana in Chapter 6?

In truth Kino sees a body bleeding on the ground, Juana making her way home through the night after being beaten, and Coyotito’s face swollen as though he were sick. The family retreats farther into the shade for another rest. While Kino sleeps soundly, Juana is restless.

Why does Juana not let Kino give himself to the trackers?

Therefore, after Kino–“half insane”–kills a man when he is attacked in the night, he suggests that Juana and the baby hide because the trackers are after him because he can pull these evil men away from her and the baby and because he can move more quickly without them.

How does Juan Tomas help Kino and Juana in Chapter 5?

a) How does Juan Tomas help Kino’s family? Juan Tomas allows Kino to hide in his house until night when they could leave for the mountains. He gathered items from the Page 6 neighbors for Kino to take and he also went among the neighbors spreading the idea that Kino and Juana had fled to escape evil.

What is Coyotito's role in the Pearl?

Coyotito is the infant son of Juana and Kino in John Steinbeck’s The Pearl. When Coyotito is stung by a scorpion, his mother tries to suck out the poison, but wants to take him to a doctor. … Coyotito’s death finally convinces Kino to get rid of the evil pearl.

What does the canoe of his grandfather plastered over and over mean?

“The canoe of his grandfather, plastered over and over, and a splintered hole broken in it. This was an evil beyond thinking. The killing of a man was not so evil as the killing of a boat. For a boat does not have sons, and a boat cannot protect itself, and a wounded boat does not heal.”

What does poison represent in the pearl?

This scene foreshadows the way that evil will spread through the town as a result of Kino’s discovery of the pearl. The poison sacs of the town began to manufacture venom, and the town swelled and puffed with the pressure of it.

What is the song of evil when does it first appear?

He hears the Song of Evil when he is near anything that threatens his family: the scorpion, the doctor, etc. What is the first “song” that Kino hears in the morning? The first song Kino hears in the morning is the Song of the Family.

Is Juana correct to be so submissive to Kino?

If Kino is obsessed with being a man, he is equally obsessed with keeping Juana in her place as a woman. And Juana doesn’t seem to mind. She accepts that she is to be passive, submissive, and deferential. Yet, despite her passivity, Juana manages to function as a pillar of strength for her husband.

Why does Kino think the killing of a man is not as evil as the killing of a boat?

Kino’s reactions are important here; they represent the primitive values of his culture. He feels that the killing of a family boat (“the canoe of his grandfather”) is a greater crime than the killing of a person because a person has a family that can revenge him.

What does Kino do when he catches Juana trying to throw the pearl back?

says Juana, but her words fall on deaf ears. Juana tries to sneak out of the house and throw the pearl back in the sea, but when Kino catches her, he beats her. After leaving her on the beach, he begins to walk home and is attacked again, but ends up murdering his attacker.

Is Juana a static character?

Juana is a static character whose personality and perspective does not change throughout the story. Unlike her husband, Kino, who changes into a greedy, obsessed man after discovering the Pearl of the World, Juana remains a resolute, dedicated wife and mother. … The doctor and Juan Tomás are also static characters.

How are Kino and Juana different?

Juana definitely has a more calm, and rational approach to everything. Kino is more rash and passionate. Even though they are both different they unite behind common causes like protecting their family.