Following the death of McTeague’s, the main character’s, mother, McTeague started a dentistry in San Francisco. Some time later, McTeague accumulated a pitiful clientele consisting of “butcher boys, shop girls, drug clerks, and car conductors” (7), and achieved what he thought of as success. At that point, a narrator retold the story of McTeague following his mother's death from his or her perspective. The characterization in the passage reflects the narrator’s attitude of pity toward McTeague. The narrator is unsure whether or not McTeague is certain what he wants to do in his life and pities him because he thinks McTeague is confused. In the discussion of McTeague’s occupation, the narrator alters his diction. When discussing dentistry-related phrases, such as “Dental Parlors” (5) and “Doctor” (10), the narrator always uses quotation marks. The quotation marks show that whenever dentistry is mentioned, the narrator mentions it in a tone of sarcasm. The narrator disbeliefs the notion that McTeague is in any way a dentist. The …show more content…
Nothing in the air of the Parlors agrees with one another, and the air itself is unable to simply take the smell of just one of those things, but adopts them all. The Parlors layout shows even more confusion as it doubles as McTeague’s bedroom. Mementos of the fact that McTeague lives there, such as the bag of bird seed, rifle advertisement calendar, and engraving, do not agree with his dentistry books. McTeague, in a similar fashion, is an eclectic mixture of things that do not necessarily complement or agree with one another. Being mentioned as a “charlatan” (4), “giant” (11), and practicing dentist, McTeague is just as confused as the Dental Parlors and is not truly any one of them. The narrator pities him because he sees McTeague as trying a bunch of things without being able to choose or become any of
Brief, Peter. 1,300 Critical Evaluations of Selected Novels and Plays: “McTeague.” Vol. 3, McT-ROB. Salem Press, 1978.
“Right hand as you face the house or as you face the stage?” McTeague was dumbfounded. “I want to be on the right-hand side...in order to be away from the drums.” “Well the drums are on the right-hand side of the orchestra as you face the stage...you want to be on the left, then, as you face the house.” “I want to be on the right-hand side,” persisted the dentist, ( McTeague, 74).
He begins to describe his workplace as rather simple and small, but it is when he realizes Mcteague's passions towards his craft that he, in a sense, abandons those examination and transforms it to hope for his future. This is easily seen when realizing that the passages that include long details regarding Mcteague and his workplace, are essentially longer than the single five sentence paragraph at the end that compliments Mcteague and accepts his dreams with open arms. This can be interpreted in a way that shows that the author would rather focus on what shows that the author would rather focus on what is wrong with Mcteague rather than praising him to high heavens for working hard and pursuing what makes him happy. This is shown through the tone shifts from the first two passages to the third and fourth. The author cleverly organizes his thoughts through the paragraph structure to easily mirror his thoughts from the beginning.
The houses grim nature affects their personas and outlook towards life itself. The family has been cursed to live a life of misery and decay. The curse that has left a burden upon Mr. Pyncheons own blood was
Winter Light takes place on one afternoon, at a small church. The pastor Tomas, a widow, has questioned his own spiritual beliefs. His tiny congregation and the issues of them will keep him questioning his own beliefs throughout the film. The Persson's a couple in his church come to him in need of help. Mr Persson is very scared that China will drop and atomic bomb and this has made him increasingly uneasy.