Steinbeck effectively uses light and dark imagery throughout the novella. The blinding sun of the estuary, the cool darkness of the brush house, the blackness of the cave. These contrasts set the mood for every scene. Photography and film students often study the text via the pearl pdf to understand how to build atmosphere. The visual writing style acts as a script, directing the reader's inner eye to the interplay of shadow and light that mirrors the moral ambiguity of the plot.