Marcus Schueler's 'Mcteague'

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1. Introduction
McTeague Frank Norris
Novel
First published in 1899, this Realism novel comments on the terrible nature of people in general and the city of San Francisco.
Protagonists: McTeague
Antagonists: Trina, Marcus, the money,
Plot Summary: McTeague, a large brute of a dentist in San Francisco, spends his days living a quiet life alone in his “Dental Parlors.” Until his “pal” Marcus Schueler brings in his dear cousin, Trina Sieppe, to have the dentist fix her broken teeth. After spending some time with Trina, McTeague falls in love with her, and Marcus happily gives her up despite his plans to marry her himself. Just after Mcteague wins Trina’s love, it is found out that she has won $5000 in the lottery, and they marry. Marcus becomes …show more content…

At the time of their marriage they were both happy and rich, but within three years they had “sucked the life out of each other” to the point where they were living in near poverty and McTeague had begun drinking large amounts of whiskey and beating Trina, gnawing at her fingers, literally eating her. This shows the depravity of their lives, despite they fortune they have. They become animals in the attempt to remain sane despite their great luck. I think this testifies to Trina’s hatred of spending money, because at the beginning their meals together were a great pleasure for both of them but at the end she would give the least amount of the cheapest food in order to save a few extra pennies. She is willing to sacrifice something so simple that brings her husband and herself happiness and a feeling of togetherness for a couple extra cents, for her …show more content…

Mac and Marcus’ friendship has done a complete 180. Marcus willingly gave up Trina to McTeague until she won the lottery and the aspect of money was introduced. The money and man’s greed drove the man who so graciously gave up Trina who he intended to marry to Mac because he really loved her has come all the way to throwing a knife at Mac’s head in a drunken stupor. McTeague is taken aback and doesn't know what to do after his pal for the first time implicitly expressed disdain for his having taken Trina and subsequently her money and throwing a knife at his head. McTeague has in a momentary shock and his animalistic brute instinct kicked in and he could only think “to crush and annihilate him.” This speaks entirely to the notion that Mac is nothing but an overgrown

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