this text according to me shows how the pearl divers really need pearls to live their life better. And also how just a single grain of rice can tip the scale. What do you think the deeper meaning behind this text is?
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Johnathan Kahler
11/6/2014 10:03:26 pm
this stands out to me as even a pearl needs life. A speck of dust can cause the pearl to slide out and die. Could the author magbe have connected this to a modern world example?
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Tessa Wienss
11/6/2014 10:07:07 pm
the author didn't connect it to the modern world because it's supposed to be symbolic and a metaphor that makes the reader think and he doesn't live in the modern world so that would be difficult. Can you think of a modern day example?
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Tessa Wienss
11/6/2014 10:12:34 pm
this quote shows a theme such as, "little indecencies can destroy a creature," and it hints at the fact that they believe in luck. This relates to our lives because people believe that if a bad thing happens then a good thing must happen as well, or you have to go through the bad times to appreciate the good ones. What examples of this can you think of?
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Santana Vannarath
11/6/2014 10:14:26 pm
The author says "An accident could happen to these oysters, a grain of sand could lie in the folds of muscle and irritate the flesh until in self-protection the flesh coated the grain with a layer of smooth cement" (16), meaning that once something bad or dangerous happens to the small and fragile oyster, it accidentally creates an object of great value. Based off of this, I can infer that the oysters also represent Coyotito. I can infer this because prior to finding the pearl, an immense accident happens to Coyotito. But, after danger comes to Coyotito, Kino finds the highly valuable pearl. This is just like what happens to oysters. Danger comes to them, but after that, immense fortune comes also. Based off of my inference, I think that a future theme may be along the lines of "Great wealth is preceded by great danger."
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Mia
11/6/2014 10:20:24 pm
I think that one of the themes of this story is that accidents can make beautiful things. I think this is so because pearls are made when "a grain of sand could lie in the folds of the muscle and irritate the flesh. To me this means that the struggle and pain of the grain of sand irritating the oyster for so long stops when the pain transforms into a shining pearl. Related to our lives, this is an example of beauty coming from pain. Things we might call freak accidents make us stronger. They make us more radiant and more beautiful. Why do you think that this happens? Is it luck? Or is it simply the way the world works?
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Kamryn
11/11/2014 10:33:18 pm
I totally agree with you! Even though a grain of sand is seen as a bad thing to the oyster at the time, it turns into something beautiful. Everything happens for a reason.
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Erika
11/7/2014 04:07:05 am
"Kinos people would sing of everything" this relates to our life because some people write songs for a living.
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Monica Ho
11/8/2014 03:32:36 am
I infer the theme is "accidents are something you should embrace". Part of the quote says, "...A grain of sand could lie in the folds of muscle and irritate the flesh..." That was the "accident" that happens to the clam. Then, the accident turned it into something beautiful, a pearl. It's almost as if it were saying we could learn from our accidents and make a better solution. What did you infer the theme was? Have you ever made an accident, but in the end you turned it into a positive situation?
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Virginia
11/9/2014 06:02:20 am
I totally agree with you, Monica! I think accidents are something you should embrace because you never know if something great will come out of that "accident." If people embrace the bad things that happen them, they become more positive. When people embrace "accidents" it also teaches them to be more humble, and not to be so selfish. Can anyone else think of ways that embracing bad things changes people positively?????????
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Virginia
11/9/2014 05:02:41 am
What page is this text on in the pdf version of the book?
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Virginia
11/9/2014 05:12:13 am
Never mind, I found it.... 😀
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Virginia
11/9/2014 05:37:38 am
I think this text is trying to tell us that we shouldn't complain about things when they seem bad, because something good could come out of it. The author uses the example of pearls are formed to show us that. Pearls are formed by a grain of sand falling into the oyster and "irritating " it, something that seems to be an accident, but in the end, a beautiful pearl is created. I can relate to this because, sometimes, I get into the habit of focusing on the negative things in a certain situation, and this text teaches me not to. An example is when I first came to Horning. (In case you haven't figured it out yet, I transferred to Horning from a different school district last year.) I was focused on how much I missed my old school, how much certain teachers chewed on my nerves, and how lonely I felt. I didn't realize I DID have a few good friends and there was ONE teacher who actually cared about me. The "accident" in this situation was me moving to Waukesha, and the "pearl" result of this "accident" was me becoming a more positive person. Does anyone else feel like they always focus on the downs in life, and that this text teaches them not to?
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Virginia
11/9/2014 05:48:30 am
TYPO: Just realized.... I meant to say "the example of HOW pearls are formed." Oops... 😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳
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Hi
2/25/2021 10:05:07 am
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Hannah Huber
11/9/2014 10:07:20 pm
I think that the text hints the theme of from beauty comes pain. I think it's this theme because the oyster has to undergo pain to become pretty. I feel that if you or something wants to "pretty" you have to go through something hard in your life. In life some people choose to go through all this pain, maybe like beauty pageants, to be pretty. And when they do, some good things might not even come out of it. Although with a oyster, something pretty always comes out, a pearl if it undergoes the pain.
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Hannah Huber
11/23/2014 09:43:22 pm
Have you ever underwent a lot of pain for something that didn't turn out so good?
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Sydney Whitehurst
11/9/2014 10:20:52 pm
the author says "a grain of sand could lie in the folds of muscle and irrate the flesh until in self-protection the flesh coated the grain with a layer of smooth cement," I think that this means a tiny thing can make a huge difference in this case bad. I think that it also shows that the light will always come at the end of the tunnel. Even though his son is sick, he can find something to make it better. Do you think it always gets better?
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Hunter
11/9/2014 10:21:55 pm
I think this text is trying to tell us that everything happens for a reason. It may seem that only you are going through a tough time and it's hard to overcome, but in the end it all evens out. Though the negative may seem to occur at first, the outcome is truly wonderful, and makes you stronger in the end. I know this is true because of when we moved. Switching houses was a huge deal for me, I had created so many memories living in my house for 10 years, and leaving the house left a hole in my stomach. But yet when we moved, I overcame the worry and realized that I loved the new place, it had been better than I expected. When it states "Pearls performed by a grain of sand falling into the oyster and "irritating" it." That would represent the moving part, and struggle I went through with leaving. It "irratated" my feelings. And the part where is states "but in the end, a beautiful pearl was created." That represents the ease that I felt after we moved in. That sentence has a big meaning in the pearl, as well as relating to a lot of real world situations about over coming an obstacle after something happens. What real world situations have you experienced that had a great solution?
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Ashley
11/10/2014 06:57:57 am
I think the text, "An accident could happen to these oysters...in self-protection the flesh coated the grain with a layer of smooth cement," relates to the theme that when being rich and wealthy came sometimes come danger. This is because in the sentence, it states, "self-protection," and "with a layer of smooth cement," I believe this is showing that when people are rich, people think everything is going to be okay. Though in the beginning of the sentence, it states, "An accident could happen." This part of the sentence shows the harm or danger wealthiness can come. A real life example of this situation is when people win the lottery. They think there lives are amazing just because they have a large amount of money. Though in reality there risk of running into some obstacles in life are much higher than before. For example, ruining friendships, not spending wisely, and risking there family.
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Ashley
11/10/2014 10:06:10 pm
What do you think the text from the book means?
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#Grammar Police
12/8/2014 09:04:31 am
**...risking THEIR family NOT there.**
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Jamie E. Carpenter
11/10/2014 08:26:25 am
I presume that this specific text from "The Pearl" is hinting at a hidden message. Maybe a theme that only analyzing, synthesizing and soulful minds can detect. To me, this theme is: Dirty mistakes can lead to beautiful promises. In my point of view, this particular theme means that while everyone makes stupid mistakes and unfortunate accidents happen, divine beauty and a new knowledge and/or understanding of life can come from them. In which case the oyster's accident is the mistake, and the pearl is the divine beauty/result. I feel this relates to real life because of how things that people think are mistakes, in some cases turn out to be joyous miracles that no one saw coming. Look beyond people's flaws and dig deeper-you just might find a pearl. What's an event that happened to you that started off horrible, and ended up beneficial?
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Isabella
11/10/2014 09:53:23 pm
I think that this text hints that sometimes good things can come out of bad things or accidents. For example, in the book, Koyotito got stung by a scorpion and when Kino took him to the doctor. But unfortunately, the doctor refused and said that he wouldn't help them because they were 'Little indians' and didn't have momey to pay for the service. After that, Kino went to the ocean to search for pearls, hoping that luck would be on his side so he could help his son. It turns out that he found the biggest pearl, and his family became very wealthy and they could pay for the things that they both needed and wanted. So, something bad happened, Koyotito getting stung by a scorpion, and that led to Kino finding a giant pearl. A bad thing led to a good thing, at least temporarily.
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Allison Ritchie
11/10/2014 10:06:45 pm
I think this means that everything has a dark side. Bad things could happen at any moment, even if they are for good reasons, like to protect tthemselves, as the oysters do.
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Samantha
11/10/2014 10:11:27 pm
I think that this text hints towards the theme of embrace your misfourtaten and mistakes. I think this because the baby got stung by the scorpion, and then a short time after, they just happened to find the pearl. This is evidence of the theme because their misfourtaten was the baby getting stung, but they had to embrace it and go on with their everyday life, and embrace what happened to the baby. Then a short time later the pearl was found and the baby can get what is needed
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Samantha
11/10/2014 10:13:44 pm
This relates to our real life because if we are patient, good things can happen. Bad things happen to everyone, but what you do with those bad things are up to you. What do you do to embrace your mistakes?
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Samantha
11/10/2014 10:14:43 pm
those two go together, but it wasn't letting me type.
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Alyssa Guckenberger
11/10/2014 10:14:02 pm
I think that this sentence relates to our everyday life of a family. When a family has an accident, or gets in trouble, they try everything they can to protect eachother. Just like how these oysters are protecting eachother. The oysters self-protect themselves when they feel like they are in danger. A family does the same thing. They may not coat their flesh with a grain layer of smooth cement, but they do protect each other. For example, families protect each other by making sure they are safe. My mom and dad will check on my phone every now and then to make sure I am on the sites and social media apps that I am supposed to be on. When they do this, they are trying to protect me from inappropriate and harmful sites. At first I was angry at them for doing that. It was interfering with my private life! But now, I am happy that they do that. They make sure that I am safe. If parents don't check up on their children every now and then, they have no idea what they are doing on the Internet. I wonder what happens if parents don't check up on their kids?
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Kamryn
11/11/2014 10:25:36 pm
I think a theme that could come from that sentence is, "People tend to create a hard shell over themselves when they fear something or someone." A sentence in the story that hints that this is happening to Kino is, "Kino searched for a true answer, and at last he said, "Everyone," and he could feel a shell of hardness drawing of over him."
Why do people always tend to put a wall when they are afraid of something or someone?
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Allie
11/11/2014 11:35:21 pm
The book states "An accident could happen to these oysters, a grain of sand could lie in the folds of muscle and irritate the flesh until in self-protection the flesh coated the grain with a layer of smooth" I took this to mean when something happens to another object, such as could happen to the oyster, it gives the object more value or makes it more important. I believe that this was a symbol of Coyotito. I say this because they went out to find the pearl to make money to give to the doctor for Coyotito's scorpion sting. When Kino finds "the Pearl of the world" danger comes upon the family. People wish for the Pearl to be their own, and in danger the family with their own greed. I think the theme of the story could possibly be something along the lines of "with great fortune comes great danger and great greed" ccccccc
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Allie
11/11/2014 11:36:35 pm
What do you believe they theme to be?
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Jacinda Ybarra
11/13/2014 10:20:18 pm
When I read this scentence I thought that the "acident" in the oyter is the pearl. The cement on the outside of the shell is the layer of protection from any enemies. I still don't know how the pearls are made or why but the fact that the text stated pearls are an accident shows that they were not educated to know about how animals or life occur in nature. Although later on when he states that his son will be educated, and lead the village out of poverty and into a better life.
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Jacinda Ybarra
11/13/2014 11:21:38 pm
How would you feel if the future relied on a son with wild promises? Would you trust the fathers words?
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Abby Barrett
11/16/2014 03:00:53 am
The quote "An accident could happened to these oysters.... In self-protection the flesh coated with grain with a layer of smooth cement" points to the theme because it's basically saying that accidents can end up resulting in a beautiful thing. Such as the accident with the scorpion sting which caused Kino to find the Pearl which changed their life. Take the quote from page 10 "My son will learn to read and open the books and my son will write and will know writing" which shows that the accident of the scorpion will result in Coyotits going to school.
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Abby Barrett
11/16/2014 03:08:05 am
Are there any thing that have happened in your life that seemed like bad things but turned into good things?
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Amber Rose
11/16/2014 08:48:59 am
This text hints at the theme, simply because it says "An accident could happen to these oysters, a fraud of sand could lie in the folds of muscle and irritate the flesh until in self protection the flesh coated the grain with a layer of smooth cement." Which, to me is basically saying something, such as a simple accident, can ulter the value and Mess things up. Which is why money can not buy happiness, because in the blink of an eye, it can be gone. It relates to our life because it is saying almost anything can become valueless. Like money, you can keep spending and spending and after a while it's going to get boring. How do you think value effects the way we look at things?
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Esmeralda
11/16/2014 01:31:28 pm
I think the phrase reflects on Kino's future. The accident that happen to the oysters symbolized the pearl appearing into Kino's life. The grain of sand that irritated the flesh is the pearl that brought disaster into Kino's happy, simple life, and as soon as he realizes that he tries to sell the pearl. Just like the oyster is self-protecting itself as the flesh uses smooth cement to coat the grains. "But once started, the flesh continued to coat the foreign body until it fell free in some tidal furry or until the oyster was destroyed." There is a limited amount of what you can do before fate takes over and decides. Like what happened to Kino. He tried so many times to get rid of it and sell it, he never made it, But he did however had a choice to destroy it but he was influenced by wealth and greed. So in the end he got destroyed instead of being set free.
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Ava
11/16/2014 07:44:27 pm
This sentence shows how delicate life really is. How every decision can affect us, and how everything that we say can affect those around us. I think this is hinting towards the theme in the book b cause Kino is having an event happen to him in his life and it dramatically had an affect on his family. What do you think?
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Hallie Halquist
11/23/2014 10:15:31 am
I think that sentence hints at the theme " something fatal or dangerous, can turn into something beautiful and valuable." Which relates to real life. Say something terrible happens to you, and slowly you work it out and turn your situation around, so that now it is an experience that is valuable and was intended for bad, but was created into good. What's a situation you turned good?
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Megan K
11/30/2014 03:50:06 am
I belie leave that, "An accident could happen to these oysters...in self-protection the flesh coated the grain with a layer of smooth cement," means that something horrible can happen in our lives, like a family member gets in a car accident, and we don't want to face the pain so we just act like it's not there by burying it deep down inside along with the emotions that come with it. In an easier to understand example, the doctor had lost his wife, and instead of confronting the pain he buried it deep and acted like it wasn't there, rarely letting the emotions come out.
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