McTeague

by

Frank Norris

The Caged Canary Symbol Analysis

The Caged Canary Symbol Icon

The caged canary symbolizes McTeague’s lack of free will, suggesting that his human instinct and environment have preordained his moral decline and tragic fate. The canary is among McTeague’s most prized possessions, and he keeps it even after his poverty forces him to sell everything else. Starting in the 1800s, canaries were used in coal mines to detect toxic gases. That McTeague, a former miner, continues to cherish the canary even after he has left the mine, suggests his inability to develop beyond his simple, working-class roots. Although he gains wealth and social clout after becoming a dentist, these are only superficial achievements. McTeague, the novel suggests, is no more refined or accomplished than he was when he was working in the  mine—a reality that his brutish habit of yanking out patients’ teeth with his bare hands underscores.

Notably, McTeague keeps his canary in a cage, signaling the canary’s lack of freedom and how its destiny is governed by forces it does not understand. In a word, it is trapped—just as McTeague is trapped, unable to repress his base, human instinct or his predilection toward violence. McTeague’s insistence on holding on to the bird mirrors the idea that he will not and cannot change. Just as the bird cannot leave its cage, McTeague cannot help but be who he is. Ultimately, the canary’s confinement serves as a metaphor for this inescapable determinism, emphasizing the futility of McTeague’s struggles against the forces that shape his destiny.

The Caged Canary Quotes in McTeague

The McTeague quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Caged Canary. 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:
Greed and Self-Destruction Theme Icon
).
Chapter 22 Quotes

As McTeague rose to his feet, he felt a pull at his right wrist; something held it fast. Looking down, he saw that Marcus in that last struggle had found strength to handcuff their wrists together. Marcus was dead now; McTeague was locked to the body. All about him, vast interminable, stretched the measureless leagues of Death Valley.

McTeague remained stupidly looking around him, now at the distant horizon, now at the ground, now at the half-dead canary chittering feebly in its little gilt prison.

Related Characters: McTeague, Marcus Schouler
Related Symbols: The Caged Canary
Page Number: 347
Explanation and Analysis:
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The Caged Canary Symbol Timeline in McTeague

The timeline below shows where the symbol The Caged Canary appears in McTeague. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 14
Greed and Self-Destruction Theme Icon
Isolation vs. Connection Theme Icon
...McTeague wants to keep every item in his office, particularly his concertina and his caged canary. No matter what Trina says, he will not put them up for sale. While Trina... (full context)
Chapter 18
Greed and Self-Destruction Theme Icon
Naturalism Theme Icon
...out are two things that the McTeagues brought with them: their wedding photograph and McTeague’s canary. (full context)
Greed and Self-Destruction Theme Icon
Isolation vs. Connection Theme Icon
One day, McTeague leaves with his canary, claiming he wants to sell it. Trina spends the morning painting Noah’s ark animals and... (full context)
Chapter 19
Greed and Self-Destruction Theme Icon
...trunk and leaves, planning his escape. As he leaves, McTeague realizes he cannot leave his canary to starve, so he takes it with him. The next morning, kindergarten children arrive. A... (full context)
Chapter 21
Greed and Self-Destruction Theme Icon
Naturalism Theme Icon
Isolation vs. Connection Theme Icon
...and McTeague, now partners, leave Keeler with their mule and burro. Cribbens suggests leaving McTeague’s canary behind, but McTeague insists on bringing it along. They travel southeast, camping in the Panamint... (full context)
Naturalism Theme Icon
...drives his mule, laden with supplies and the precious sack of gold, while carrying the canary in its cage. Along the way, he finds a water hole to refill his canteen... (full context)
Chapter 22
Greed and Self-Destruction Theme Icon
Naturalism Theme Icon
...for a week around Gold Gulch. A peddler informs them of two men with a canary who struck gold nearby. The posse tracks them again, noting McTeague’s mule tracks leading east... (full context)
Greed and Self-Destruction Theme Icon
Naturalism Theme Icon
Isolation vs. Connection Theme Icon
...in the vast, desolate expanse of Death Valley, with no water and only the feeble canary for company. (full context)