In the novella The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, the protagonist Kino, having been poor his whole life, discovers great fortune and wishes to buy a rifle. Unfortunately, Kino did not get his rifle, but his longing for one was similar to what numerous people felt from that era. In addition, rifles were a popular gun in the 1900s, and had many uses, such as defence and more.
A rifle is a specific type of firearm that has many characteristics including three main parts and contains a rifled bore. Every rifle has these three features: a stock, action, and barrel. The stock of a rifle is located at the end of the rifle and is there to help hold and aim the gun. The action is used to load and unload the cartridges. Lastly, the barrel is the part that aims the bullet to the desired target (“Washington”). In addition, the rifle bore is used to stabilize the projectile by causing it to spin (“Rifle”). In The Pearl, the made up character Kino desires a rifle. Kino had been previously poor, and after coming across an impressive pearl, he instantly becomes a rich man. After this event, Kino wants to buy a rifle and finally has enough money to buy a Winchester Carbine (Steinbeck pg).
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In fact, rifles and guns have a rich, long history. It all started when the Chinese invented gunpowder. With this remarkable invention, guns were starting to be created. Many types and varieties of firearms had been created long before the first rifle was created. Finally, in the 1830s, the first rifle, the Minié rifle, was created by Claude-Étienne Minié (“Available For”). There was also the Henry Rifle. This rifle was one of the first to have a cartridge, which combines the powder, bullet, and an ignition system all in one gun (“Rifle History”). As the years went by, more styles of rifles continued to be