The Pearl: Chapters 5–6

by John Steinbeck
In this novella based on a Mexican folk tale, a poor diver rejoices when he finds an enormous pearl — but the treasure may not be the blessing it seems to be.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–2, Chapters 3–4, Chapters 5–6
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. searing
    intense or sharp
    And a searing rage came to him and gave him strength.
  2. edifice
    a structure that has a roof and walls
    He saw a little glow ahead of him, and then without interval a tall flame leaped up in the dark with a crackling roar, and a tall edifice of fire lighted the pathway. Kino broke into a run; it was his brush house, he knew.
  3. lament
    a cry of sorrow and grief
    She, being the nearest woman relative, raised a formal lament for the dead of the family.
  4. forestall
    keep from happening or arising; make impossible
    And Kino, looking closely, saw deep worry come into his brother’s eyes and he forestalled him in a possible refusal.
  5. leprosy
    communicable disease characterized by wasting of body parts
    “I do not want to bring danger to you,” Kino said. “I know I am like a leprosy. I will go tonight and then you will be safe.”
  6. divert
    send on a course different from the planned or intended one
    Juan Tomás went out among the neighbors to divert their suspicions, and he gave them theories and ideas of what had happened to Kino and to Juana and to the baby.
  7. exhilaration
    the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
    Through his fear of dark and the devils that haunt the night, there came a rush of exhilaration; some animal thing was moving in him so that he was cautious and wary and dangerous; some ancient thing out of the past of his people was alive in him.
  8. waning
    of the period when the visible surface of the moon decreases
    At last, to their right, the waning moon arose, and when it came up the wind died down, and the land was still.
  9. monolithic
    imposing in size or bulk or solidity
    But ahead were the naked granite mountains, rising out of erosion nibble and standing monolithic against the sky.
  10. irresolute
    uncertain how to act or proceed
    He looked then for weakness in her face, for fear or irresolution, and there was none.
  11. outcropping
    part of a rock formation that juts above surrounding land
    Now there were long outcroppings of granite with deep crevices between, and Kino walked on bare unmarkable stone when he could and leaped from ledge to ledge.
  12. escarpment
    a long steep slope at the edge of a plateau or ridge
    There wasn’t much left of it then anyway, for every time it fell over an escarpment the thirsty air drank it, and it splashed from the pools to the dry vegetation.
  13. petulant
    easily irritated or annoyed
    And the baby was weary and petulant, and he cried softly...
  14. germane
    relevant and appropriate
    Any sound that was not germane to the night would make them alert.
  15. malignant
    dangerous to health
    And the pearl was ugly; it was gray, like a malignant growth.
Created on Wed Dec 11 19:16:16 EST 2013 (updated Tue Aug 05 15:06:09 EDT 2025)

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