Maria Macapa Character Analysis in McTeague

Maria Macapa is a washerwoman and junk dealer who frequently visits McTeague’s dental office. Maria is of Mexican descent and is portrayed as somewhat mentally unstable. She often tells stories of her family’s lost wealth, particularly about gold dishes that were supposedly part of her family’s inheritance. These stories fuel Zerkow’s obsession with gold until he eventually descends into madness and kills her.

Maria Macapa Quotes in McTeague

The McTeague quotes below are all either spoken by Maria Macapa or refer to Maria Macapa. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Maria found Zerkow himself in the back room, cooking some sort of a meal over an alcohol stove. Zerkow was a Polish Jew—curiously enough his hair was fiery red. He was a dry, shriveled old man of sixty odd. He had the thin, eager, cat-like lips of the covetous; eyes that had grown “keen as those of a lynx from long searching amidst muck and debris; and claw-like, prehensile fingers—the fingers of a man who accumulates, but never disburses. It was impossible to look at Zerkow and not know instantly that greed—inordinate, insatiable greed—was the dominant passion of the man.

Related Characters: Zerkow, Maria Macapa

Page Number and Citation: 34

Explanation and Analysis:

Zerkow had come to believe in this story infallibly. He was immovably persuaded that at one time Maria or Maria’s people had possessed these hundred golden dishes. In his perverted mind the hallucination had developed still further. Not only had that service of gold plate once existed, but it existed now, entire, intact; not a single burnished golden piece of it was missing. It was somewhere, somebody had it, locked away in that leather trunk with its quilted lining and round brass locks. It was to be searched for and secured, to be fought for, to be gained at all hazards.

Related Characters: Zerkow, Maria Macapa

Page Number and Citation: 189

Explanation and Analysis:

And the tooth, the gigantic golden molar of French gilt, enormous and ungainly, sprawled its branching prongs in one corner of the room, by the footboard of the bed. The McTeague’s had come to use it as a sort of substitute for a table. After breakfast and supper Trina piled the plates and greasy dishes upon it to have them out of the way.

Related Characters: McTeague, Trina Sieppe, Zerkow, Maria Macapa

Related Symbols: The Gilded Tooth

Page Number and Citation: 266

Explanation and Analysis:

Maria Macapa Character Timeline in McTeague

The timeline below shows where the character Maria Macapa appears in McTeague. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...Baker, Marcus walks in with Trina. While McTeague is working, Marcus talks to Trina about Maria Macapa, who works as the building’s maid. Marcus says that Maria is a strange woman... (full context)

Once every month, Maria spends the day bothering everyone in McTeague’s building because she wants her to give them... (full context)

Eventually, Maria makes her way to McTeague. It has been a full week since Trina rejected him,... (full context)

Once Maria wrangles something out of everyone in the building, she walks to an alley where Zerkow’s... (full context)

After they are done haggling, Zerkow asks Maria to tell him about a gold plate that her family used to own—a story she... (full context)

...hallway, and the two prepare to call on the Sieppes. In the hallway, McTeague hears Maria telling Zerkow more stories about her family’s wealth. Together, McTeague and Marcus make their way... (full context)

...building, they see the lights are still on. Inside, a small group has gathered around Maria, and everyone is talking excitedly. When Trina walks through the door, Maria yells to let... (full context)

...a state of disbelief. She does not think it is possible she actually won. However, Maria and Marcus have already invited a lottery agent over to the apartment building, and he... (full context)

...of the wall, which they both find comforting. Meanwhile, knowing no one will be around, Maria sneaks into McTeague’s shop and steals more gold than she has ever stolen before. Then,... (full context)

...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... (full context)

...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... (full context)

One month after the picnic, Zerkow is sitting with Maria and asking her to tell him about her golden plates again. Maria tells Zerkow that... (full context)

When Maria tells Zerkow that she does not know anything about the plates, Zerkow threatens to hit... (full context)

One night, Maria runs to Marcus’s apartment and begs him for help. She says that Zerkow has a... (full context)

Meanwhile, at home, Trina converses with Maria about her troubles with Zerkow. When McTeague returns home, he is furious and blames Trina... (full context)

During this time, Trina forms a close friendship with Maria, as they bond over their husbands’ abuses. They compare bruises and discuss the best ways... (full context)

...Miss Baker since he’s come into money from selling a bookbinding patent. Next, Trina visits Maria, hoping they can get lunch together. However, instead, she finds Maria lying dead with a... (full context)

...come to see what is going on. Immediately, someone suggests that Zerkow must have killed Maria. Indeed, later the same day, the police find Zerkow’s body in in the bay. He... (full context)

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,... (full context)