Symbol. A symbol is something that stands for or represents both itself and something else. Some traditional symbols include doves for peace; the color green for jealousy; the color purple for royalty; winter, evening, or night for old age; red roses for beauty and love; roads or paths for the journey through life; and owls for wisdom. For example, in The Pearl, for Kino, the pearl symbolizes a better future, one in which he, his son, and his people are not subject to the superior knowledge of the racist elite. As you read The Pearl, look for things that might represent something else, in addition to themselves. Use the graphic organizer to the right as a model to help you keep track of your findings about symbolism.

• Pearls are the only gems created by animals. Other gems, such as diamonds and emeralds, are formed by geological processes. Pearls form inside oysters and certain other mollusks.
• Sometimes a grain of sand gets trapped inside an oyster. Nacre, a shiny white mineral, builds up around the foreign material, creating an abnormal but very beautiful growth—a pearl. For centuries, pearls have been prized for their unusual luster. Traditionally, pearls have been associated with health and wisdom.
• Baja California, or lower California, is a peninsula in northwestern Mexico bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Gulf of California to the east. Like much of Central and South America, Baja California was colonized in the 1500s by Spanish conquerors who subjugated the Native American population living there.

Do you agree that the love of riches or the pursuit of wealth is a source of evil in the world? Why, or why not?