Scott O'Dell is a renowned author known for his historical fiction novels, including Island of the Blue Dolphins. The Black Pearl tells the story of Ramon, a 16-year-old who learns to dive for pearls from an Indian man named Soto Luzon. Ramon discovers a legendary giant black pearl in the lagoon of the feared Manta Diablo. Another man named Gaspar Ruis seeks to claim the pearl for himself and fatally harpoons the Manta Diablo.

1. The Black Pearl
by Scott O’De!

2. The Author
Scott O’Dell is well-known for having written another historical
fiction, Island of the Blue Dolphins, which has captured the hearts of
children speaking 28 languages all together for over 50 years. His
stories of adventure highlight how normal kids may be heroes in their
own tales.
His own life was quite adventurous. He served in World war I as a young
man, and he enlisted to fight in World War II when he was over 40 years
old!
Mr. O’Dell won The Newberry Award for Island of the Blue Dolphins and
the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Sing Down the Moon.
Mr. O’Dell’s ashes were scattered off the coast of La Jolle,
California, where bystanders witnessed a pod of dolphins pay tribute as
stayed they leaped as he fell. They until the ceremony ended.

3. The Author
Scott O’Dell is well-known for having written another historical
fiction, Island of the Blue Dolphins, which has captured the hearts of
children speaking 28 languages all together for over 50 years. His
stories of adventure highlight how normal kids may be heroes in their
own tales.
His own life was quite adventurous. He served in World war I as a young
man, and he enlisted to fight in World War II when he was over 40 years
old!
Mr. O’Dell won The Newberry Award for Island of the Blue Dolphins and
the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Sing Down the Moon.
Mr. O’Dell’s ashes were scattered off the coast of La Jolle,
California, where bystanders witnessed a pod of dolphins pay tribute as
stayed they leaped as he fell. They until the ceremony ended.

4. Settings
La Paz’
The manta’s Lagoon
The Island of the dead
the Vermi!ion Sea

5. Ramon’
Ramon is a recently turned sixteen year-old with dreams of going pearling with his father. His
father always said that “when he was sixteen he could go with him.” He gets the chance a few
days a$er his sixteenth birthday. Ramon’ enjoys the trip even though his father does not a!ow
him to dive and the trip shows little produce. Even though he understands why father doesn’t
want him to dive, Ramon’ decides to learn anyway, so when a local Indian (they were common
then) named Soto Luzon comes to se! him a pearl, as he does every few months or so. Ramon’ asks
Luzon to teach him how to dive at the lagoon where Soto lives in exchange for a fee each trip.

6. Soto Luzon
Soto Luzon is a old, weathered Indian man with few prospects for earning his daily
wage. A retired fisherman, he lives in a secret lagoon, where the fiercest sea monster of
a!, the Manta Diablo, lives. He not only teaches Ramon’ to be a diver, but he also
becomes his good )iend. Luzon loses faith in Ramon’ when Ramon’ dives where he has
been instructed not to--the cave of the Manta Diablo. There lies the Great Pearl of
Heaven.

7. The Manta Diablo
From an early age, children in Ramon’s community
are taught to fear the Manta Diablo, as mothers
threaten “to speak a word to the Manta Diablo”
who wi! come find and eat them. Ramon’ does
not believe the tale, for he has grown out of
childhood, lingers in his tween stage. He hopes,
partly, to find the tale is true, so that he disprove
the elaborate descriptions various mothers provide
in their te!ings.
In truth, the Manta Diablo is a gigantic manta
ray, regal, beautiful, and acting according to
nature, but malice lies in the nature of its
protection of the pearl and resentment for people,
who always when they find him attempt to slay
him with harpoons.

8. The Manta Diablo
From an early age, children in Ramon’s community
are taught to fear the Manta Diablo, as mothers
threaten “to speak a word to the Manta Diablo”
who wi! come find and eat them. Ramon’ does
not believe the tale, for he has grown out of
childhood, lingers in his tween stage. He hopes,
partly, to find the tale is true, so that he disprove
the elaborate descriptions various mothers provide
in their te!ings.
In truth, the Manta Diablo is a gigantic manta
ray, regal, beautiful, and acting according to
nature, but malice lies in the nature of its
protection of the pearl and resentment for people,
who always when they find him attempt to slay
him with harpoons.

9. The Black Pearl
The Black Pearl is so amazing that it begs description and redescription through kennings, or renamings. Like Jesus
in the Bible, the Pearl is known in various ways: the Pearl of the Universe, the Great Pearl of Heaven, and the
Paragon of Pearls.
At first, it brings misfortune when it is given to the Madonna, and Ramon’s father dies in the Chabusco because
hise father’s mind is clouded for having given the pearl to the Madonna. Later, attempting to return the pearl to
the Manta Diablo but failing as the Servani!o take him and the pearl hostage, Ramon’ realizes that his hard fight
makes him worthy of keeping the pearl to dedicate to the Madonna as tribute
The pearl is magnificent at 62 karats with smoky color rather than a more typical black. It resembles a swirling
storm.

10. The Black Pearl
The Black Pearl is so amazing that it begs description and redescription through kennings, or renamings. Like Jesus
in the Bible, the Pearl is known in various ways: the Pearl of the Universe, the Great Pearl of Heaven, and the
Paragon of Pearls.
At first, it brings misfortune when it is given to the Madonna, and Ramon’s father dies in the Chabusco because
hise father’s mind is clouded for having given the pearl to the Madonna. Later, attempting to return the pearl to
the Manta Diablo but failing as the Servani!o take him and the pearl hostage, Ramon’ realizes that his hard fight
makes him worthy of keeping the pearl to dedicate to the Madonna as tribute
The pearl is magnificent at 62 karats with smoky color rather than a more typical black. It resembles a swirling
storm.

11. The Servanillo
A man who falsely claims to have come )om Servani!e, Spain, Gaspar Ruis, seeks
the black pearl and is wi!ing to do harm to get it. His cruel deeds include being mean
to Ramon’ who sees through his lies, lying to abscond with the pearl which rightfu!y
belongs either to the ocean or to the people of La Paz, and hurting the Manta Diablo, a
creature of nature.
Battling the Manta Diablo, the Servani!o fata!y harpoons the magnificent creature,
and this causes him to be pu!ed to the bottom of the sea where he drowns.

12. Vocabulary
Chabusco: Spanish for hurricane.
Diablo: Spanish for the Devil
Harpoon: a tool that shoots to snag and pin the flesh of sea animals. Barbed it is nearly impossible to escape.
Madonna: Spanish for My Lady, Catholic term for Mary, mother of Jesus
Manta Ray: Largest of a! rays, the manta ray is a cousin to sharks.
Madre mon Dios: Mother of My God! A curse phrase.
La Paz: A city whose name translates to “the Peace,” this is a pearling town.
Pearling: the act and industry of diving to harvest pearls.

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