The Black Pearl

“There are many who live in the great world outside who have heard of him also, I am told. But of these thousands only two have really seen him. And of the two, only one is alive–I, Ramón Salazar.” 

One of the first sentences of the novel, this passage introduces the reader to both the Manta Diablo and Ramón. This opening sets the tone for the rest of the story, positioning the narrative as oral tradition. In doing this, O’Dell establishes a more intimate connection between the narrator and the reader, as though they are listening to this story from Ramón himself. The decision also places Ramón in a position of authority, since it is typically adult men who tell stories in The Black Pearl.

“I do not know whether Father Linares saw it again or not, but I do know that while it lived there in the sea it lost the claws and forked tongue and the evil smell. It became the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. Yes, beautiful. And still it was the same evil thing that Father Linares banished from our land many years ago. This is strange.” 

This passage reflects conflict between the mythological beliefs of La Paz and the town’s Catholic faith. Neither the Manta Diablo nor the Madonna can destroy the other. Instead, they reach a strange equilibrium where the Madonna exists on land while the Manta Diablo claims the sea as his domain.

“If you go with the fleet […] then all the male members of the Salazar family will be on the sea at once. What happens if a storm comes up and drowns the both of us? I will tell you. It is the end of Salazar and Son. It is the end of everything I have worked for.” 

Blas wants nothing more than to ensure the future of the Salazar family, both in bloodline and in business. He is a prideful man and appears to see Ramón less as an individual and more as an extension of himself. This moment foreshadows Blas’s own death in the ocean and the transfer of the business to Ramón—the boy’s shift from being the “son” to “Salazar” himself.