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Chapter 10
Themes
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
One morning, Trina sees Miss Baker coming back from the market and strikes up a conversation with her. Miss Baker tells Trina that she heard a rumor that McTeague pulled someone’s tooth out with his fingers. Trina confirms the rumor, saying it is something that McTeague does often. Miss Baker also tells Trina that Maria and Zerkow are going to get married, which surprises Trina. Miss Baker and Trina feel bad for Maria because Zerkow is an old man, but they presume it is the only offer of marriage Maria ever received. Trina thinks that Zerkow wants to marry Maria because he wants to be able to hear Maria’s story about her gold plates for the rest of his life.
The spread of rumors can serve as a form of social pressure, as people know that their personal business will eventually make its way around town. This underscores how social norms and one’s environment can influence behavior. Additionally, as Trina suggests, the marriage between Maria and Zerkow is purely transactional: Maria is desperate, and Zerkow wants to marry somehow who can fuel his dream of hoarding immense wealth.
Themes
While Trina and Miss Baker are talking, two of Marcus’s dogs round the corner and see each other. Trina warns Miss Baker to get out of the way because the dogs love to fight with each other. Trina finds the fight horrifying, though Maria, who has just arrived on the scene, encourages it. As the dogs are fighting, Old Grannis walks by and accidentally knocks Miss Baker’s basket out of her hands, scattering her produce on the ground. However, Miss Baker does not mind— she is simply glad to have any interaction with Old Grannis.
Although the dog fight could represent many of the antagonistic relationships featured throughout the novel, it does not apply to the burgeoning connection between Miss Baker and Old Grannis. Their interactions remain purely innocent and lack any sense of conflict. Even when Old Grannis knocks Miss Baker’s basket to the ground, she is happy to have interacted with him.
Themes
Meanwhile, although Marcus still lives in the building above McTeague and Trina, the couple rarely sees him Occasionally, Marcus will stop and ask Trina if Mr. Sieppe has found anyone that will sell him a ranch near Los Angeles. However, Trina always says that she has not heard anything. Instead, Marcus spends him time working in local politics, having given up his job as a veterinary assistant. From his efforts, Marcus earns a significant sum of cash, though his net worth remains far below the McTeagues’.
Marcus’s shift to politics and his financial situation show that he longs for upward mobility. Because he knows the Sieppes have the potential to help change his life, he remains on good terms with Trina. However, there is a sense that he would drop her as soon as she is no longer useful to him. It seems he has learned from his error of being selfless toward McTeague.
Themes
On a nice day, McTeague asks Trina if they can host a picnic in the park, something they have not done for some time. At first, Trina is unsure because she does not want to spend the money. However, she eventually agrees to go after it is agreed that the McTeagues will not have to supply lunch for everyone. McTeague invites the Heises, the Ryers (two families the McTeagues have befriended), and Trina’s cousin Selina. On the way to the park, McTeague and his friends run into Marcus, who asks them where they are going. Marcus pleasantly says hello to everyone except McTeague. Not realizing there is a rift between McTeague and Marcus, Mrs. Ryer invites Marcus to join them. Marcus agrees to go.
The planning of the picnic highlights Trina’s frugality, which has grown considerably since she first met McTeague. At the beginning of their relationship, picnics were an important part of Trina’s life, and she was surprised he had never been to one. Now, she acts as though they cannot afford a picnic, even though picnics are not expensive, and this was never an issue before. Meanwhile, Marcus’s presence at the picnic is sure to end in disaster, as he and McTeague have never properly settled their feud.
Themes
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On the way to the park, Mr. Heise tells McTeague and Marcus that they should make up. McTeague says that he has no problem with Marcus, and then the two shake hands. After this, tensions settle, and everyone has a pleasant day in the park. The men take turns shooting a gun, which McTeague is not very good at. However, as soon as the day’s activities turn to feats of strength, McTeague has a distinct advantage. He also openly brags to everyone about what his strength allowed him to do as a young man. He tells a story about how he punched a heifer so hard that its mouth frothed up and it died. The story makes Marcus angry both because he does not like McTeague boasting—and because he finds the story itself repulsive.
The temporary reconciliation between McTeague and Marcus is fragile and seems unlikely to last long. The activities at the picnic emphasize McTeague’s physical prowess, a dominant trait in the natural world. His story about the heifer also reveals his brutish nature, which Marcus does not think is something to brag about. Marcus, who spent a lot of time working as a veterinary assistant and loves animals, finds the story horrifying, and McTeague’s boasting only makes him hate McTeague more.
Themes
Then, Mr. Heise proposes a wrestling tournament between all the men. Mr. Heise wrestles Marcus first, while McTeague wrestles Mr. Ryer. McTeague wins easily, and Marcus also triumphs over Mr. Heise. McTeague and Marcus’s fight is more evenly matched, though McTeague has a distinct advantage. When McTeague wins, Marcus grows irate and demands that McTeague fight him again. McTeague agrees to another match, though he fears he has alienated Marcus again.
The wrestling matches serve as a physical manifestation of the power struggle and competition between the men, particularly between McTeague and Marcus. McTeague’s victories highlight his physical superiority, while Marcus’s demand for a rematch demonstrates his desire to prove himself not only to McTeague but also to the women watching.
Themes
McTeague wins the second fight, as well, sending Marcus into a rage. Marcus bites through McTeague’s ear lobe, and blood begins spraying everywhere. Suddenly, McTeague gets angry as well. In a moment of pure, animalistic rage, McTeague breaks Marcus’s arm. Mr. Heise and Mr. Ryer have to pull McTeague off Marcus so that he does not do anything else. Once McTeague calms down, Mr. Heise asks him what they should do about his ear. McTeague feels lightheaded and is no help, so Mr. Heise gets him some ice he brought with his picnic baskets. Meanwhile, the Ryers and Mrs. Heise tend to Marcus.
The violent escalation during the second wrestling match is a regression to primal impulses, which Norris suggests are always lurking beneath the surface. Marcus’s biting and McTeague’s brutal retaliation showcase the animalistic impulses that drive their conflict. The intervention of Mr. Heise and Mr. Ryer to stop the fight and provide first aid illustrates the community’s role in managing and mitigating violence. Later in the novel, a similar conflict will occur without anyone to step in to help and the outcome is quite different.
Themes
