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Chapter 17
Themes
and Colors
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in McTeague, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Greed and Self-Destruction
Naturalism
Gender Stereotypes
Class Struggle
Isolation vs. Connection
Summary
Analysis
McTeague wakes up to Trina screaming because she is having a nightmare about Maria. These nightmares have become common since Maria’s death, which annoys McTeague. He often responds angrily, sometimes hitting Maria or biting her fingers. Trina asks McTeague if he still loves her. Although McTeague says that he does, really there is no love left in their marriage. Additionally, McTeague stops looking for a job and spends his days taking long walks, fishing, and enjoying being by himself. One evening, while on his way home, McTeague finds Trina in front of Zerkow’s old house because she wants to move there to save even more money. Although McTeague gets angry when he realizes what Trina wants to do, he quickly agrees, which makes Trina suspicious.
McTeague’s withdrawal from job searching and his solitary activities reflect a loss of purpose. He no longer cares about himself or Trina; he simply wants to drown his sorrows. Meanwhile, Trina’s desire to move into Zerkow’s house suggests that, whether she realizes it or not, she is turning herself into Maria, who just died from domestic violence. Although Maria’s death affects Trina, it is not important enough for her to alter her miserly ways. Instead, she embarks upon what seems like a self-fulfilling prophecy, as though guided by fate.
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The following day, McTeague and Trina move into Zerkow’s old place, bringing the few possessions they have left along with them. At this point, both are reaching their breaking point. McTeague still does not have a job and struggles with alcoholism. Meanwhile, Trina has lost her good looks due to aging, working, and being abused by McTeague. Furthermore, Zerkow’s old home is filthy and has cockroaches everywhere. The only objects in the home that stand out are two things that the McTeagues brought with them: their wedding photograph and McTeague’s canary.
The move to Zerkow’s old place is the nadir of McTeague and Trina’s downward spiral. The deteriorating physical environment reflects their emotional and financial decay. The presence of their wedding photograph and McTeague’s canary amid the squalor serves as a poignant reminder of what they once had and the contrast to their current state. In the novel’s final chapters, the canary, which sits in a cage, becomes an important symbol, trapped as it is by its environment.
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Not long after, McTeague decides to sell his gilded tooth, which he has kept all this time, to the Other Dentist. The Other Dentist gives him five dollars for the tooth, one of which McTeague gives to Trina to buy food. Trina claims she used the entire dollar to buy the food she needs, though really, she kept most of it for herself. Meanwhile, McTeague goes fishing for three days. Trina suggests that he bring home fish for them so they will not have to buy more food.
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One day, McTeague leaves with his canary, claiming he wants to sell it. Trina spends the morning painting Noah’s ark animals and eats a simple lunch before resuming work. By evening, McTeague hasn’t returned, and Trina worries he might be drinking with the money he got from selling the sign. She searches for him, asking both Mr. Heise and Mr. Ryer for his whereabouts, but no one seems to know where he is.
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Trina returns home, only to find it empty. She fears McTeague might be dead. However, then, an even worse thought creeps into her head. She looks at the trunk where she keeps her money and discovers that her worst fears have come true: McTeague has stolen her savings and ran off with them. Trina, realizing McTeague has deserted her, collapses in grief. That night, Miss Baker cares for Trina, who is hysterical. She calls a doctor to come check on Trina in the morning. The following day, the doctor tells Trina that she has a high fever and blood poisoning in her fingers. He warns her that a few of her fingers will need to be amputated, which will make it difficult for her to work.
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