filled with different types of punctuation and polysyllabic words: “It belonged to the changeless order of things—the man desiring the woman only for what she withholds; the woman worshipping the man for that which she yields up to him." The pause forced by the em dash (—) forces the reader to pause. Also, the joining of the two independent clauses with a semicolon forces the sentence forward. Longer sentences like this also affect the tone and the mood. The tone illustrates the author's feelings on companionship and relationships. The idea of the "changeless order of things" is a truth in nature. As for the mood, the reader can decide if this ideology makes him or her feel that the character is hopelessly optimistic (change is certain to come) or hopelessly pessimistic (change will never come). Regardless, both of these feelings bring about a distinct feeling in the reader.

Critiques and Praise of McTeague

McTeague has faced criticism for its melodramatic twists, oversimplified philosophy, and occasionally heavy-handed prose. Nonetheless, it’s widely acknowledged for its remarkable intensity and undeniable force. Much of this magnetism stems from Norris’s masterful command of his core techniques, blending his unique method of character development with a keen eye for narrative structure and symbolism.

Narrative Structure and Technique

Norris crafts his tale by following the classic trajectory of a degeneration narrative, charting the visible descent of characters towards their inevitable doom. This gives the plot a dramatic contour defined by an air of predestination. His narrative bursts to life through meticulous detailing of his characters’ existences, coupled with his talent for crafting unforgettable scenes. His vivid portrayals of San Francisco, Placer County, and Death Valley, along with episodes like McTeague in his Dental Parlours, the marriage to Trina, a theatrical evening, Trina's murder, and the final clash with Marcus, showcase his acute observation, prowess in setting depiction, and dramatic flair. Norris's storytelling gains further strength as he deftly adapts tone and style to the unfolding drama. In the initial ten chapters, as he paints his characters and their world, his tone is light and comically inclined. However, the subsequent chapters, leading to Trina's demise, see a shift to a poignant style, culminating in the tragic crescendo of McTeague’s primal flight and his ultimate confrontation with Marcus, accelerating the narrative pace.

Symbolism and Themes

Within McTeague, characters are often linked with objects that, through their persistent presence, evolve into symbols central to the narrative. Dominant among these is the oversized gold tooth McTeague uses to advertise his practice, encapsulating significant themes of the story. Initially, McTeague’s yearning for this tooth reflects his desire for societal validation, and its acquisition brings him contentment. As his fortunes decline, his attachment to the tooth remains, even as he moves into ever-smaller dwellings. The loss of this tooth presages his impending downfall. Other symbols like Trina's lottery ticket and gold coins, Maria's ill-fated gold plates, and McTeague’s caged canary further populate the story. Notably, many of these objects are tied to gold, the novel's predominant symbol. Gold serves as a fitting metaphor for the characters’ dreams and the avarice that ultimately consumes them. On a broader scale, it symbolizes the socioeconomic themes of the novel, recalling the Gold Rush that shaped California and reflecting the materialism that sacrificed human values for economic gain. This irony underscores the degradation of the American Dream, transformed from a pursuit of equality and opportunity into a quest for wealth and exploitation as pioneers moved toward California.

Conceived during Norris's formative years at Berkeley and Harvard and unleashed upon the literary world in 1899, McTeague: A Story of San Francisco stands as a towering example of American naturalism. Set against the backdrop of the 1890s, this gripping tale follows McTeague, a guileless, primal figure who emerges from the rugged terrain of Placer County's mines. At the story's outset, he has achieved a semblance of refinement, practicing as an unlicensed dentist on San Francisco's bustling Polk Street. Through his marriage to Trina, a woman of the middle class, McTeague ascends the social ladder, basking in fleeting happiness. However, his world crumbles when he must forsake his trade, plunging into a spiral of alcoholism and savage behavior, culminating in murder. Ultimately, he retraces his steps to the mining territories of his youth, only to meet a dramatic demise in the desolate expanses of Death Valley's desert.

The novel's genesis likely traces back to a chilling murder in San Francisco in 1893, coinciding with Norris's senior year at Berkeley. A laborer, portrayed by the press as a drunken fiend who habitually battered his wife over money, brutally ended her life in the cloakroom of the kindergarten where she worked as a janitress. This heinous act of violence, entwined with themes of alcoholism, poverty, and savagery, presented an irresistible subject for Norris, then deeply engrossed in the works of Émile Zola and fascinated by contemporary scientific and anthropological discourse. As Norris articulated in an essay, Zola's influence convinced him that "terrible things must happen to the characters of the naturalistic tale," with extraordinary events shattering their mundane existences, propelling them into "a vast and terrible drama." In his studies with Professor Joseph LeConte, Norris absorbed theories of evolution suggesting that humanity, though ascending from brute primitiveness to civilization, harbored latent animalistic instincts that could, under specific provocations, revert to a brutish state. Furthermore, Norris delved into the late nineteenth-century field of criminal anthropology, particularly Cesare Lombroso's notion that criminality stemmed from atavistic tendencies linked to neurodegeneration, with alcohol as a prime instigator of this decline.

Beyond its exploration of degeneration and primal criminality, McTeague proudly bears the subtitle "A Story of San Francisco," underscoring its role as a vivid tapestry of urban life. Norris's conviction that "the novel of California must be a novel of city life" aligned with his insight into the public's hunger for narratives unveiling the gritty realities of modern cities. During the 1890s, as Norris penned his work, San Francisco was a city in flux, propelled by urbanization, industrial growth, immigration, and internal migration. These dynamic changes resonate throughout the novel. McTeague's journey to San Francisco from a Californian mining district, alongside Trina's family's Swiss immigrant roots through Los Angeles, exemplifies this transformation. The vibrant Polk Street district, where much of the drama unfolds, teems with a diverse tapestry of nationalities and occupations, reflecting San Francisco's metamorphosis into a city with ever-evolving geographic boundaries and a mutable social fabric. Here, disparate socioeconomic and ethnic groups coexist, allowing individuals like McTeague, devoid of wealth or formal education, to aspire to upward mobility. The novel's philosophical underpinnings and richly painted setting captivated contemporary audiences and continue to account for its enduring allure.

Often perceived as a quintessential naturalistic novel, McTeague delves into predominant themes including the inexorable pull of biological determinism, the descent into primal degeneration, environmental influences, and the capricious hand of fate. Esteemed as one of the most significant American novels from the 1890s that employs a naturalistic approach, it artfully weaves these concepts into its narrative fabric. Scholarly analyses have unearthed a myriad of scenes and events within its pages that echo the impact of Zola's literary works. Particularly influential are Therese Raquin (1881; originally in French, 1867), with its penetrating exploration of a troubled union between a nervous woman and a dim-witted man; L'Assommoir (1879; originally in French, 1877), celebrated for its vivid portrayal of a working-class urban landscape and memorable events like the wedding feast; and Human Brutes (1890; La Bete Humaine, 1890), depicting a relentless murderer ensnared by the shackles of hereditary alcoholism and madness.

In parallel, like all of Norris's creations, McTeague stands as a distinctively American narrative, offering a window into the social and economic tapestry of its era. It skillfully embeds within its themes and actions a profound commentary on the ideologies and myths that permeated the period. Even when draped in a Zolaesque cloak, it remains a literary work that could only have been crafted by an American author of the 1890s.

McTeague was transformed into an extraordinary silent film by the visionary Erich Von Stroheim, who found himself captivated by Norris's novel due to its compelling portrayal of an era. Shot over an extensive nine-month period culminating in December 1923, the film was unveiled a year later under the title Greed, courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The movie showcased the talents of Gibson Gowland as McTeague, alongside Zasu Pitts as Trina and Jean Hersholt as Marcus.

The journey of this film is as dramatic as its narrative. Von Stroheim's screenplay adhered closely to the novel's intricacies, and in pursuit of genuine authenticity, he meticulously filmed scenes in the very settings Norris described. His unwavering commitment to the source material yielded a cinematic opus originally spanning forty-two reels, with an epic runtime of eight hours. Pressured by the producers, Von Stroheim condensed the film to eighteen reels, which he staunchly believed was the shortest version that could honor the tale's depth, proposing a two-part release. However, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer had other plans, entrusting their story editor, June Mathis, with the daunting task of trimming it down to a ten-reel, sub-two-hour presentation—the sole version that reached audiences.

Even with such severe edits, Greed endures as a cinematic triumph, a quintessential piece of motion-picture naturalism. Delving into the corrosive power of wealth, the film meticulously charts the moral unraveling of its characters as they become entrapped by the relentless pursuit of riches. Through its breathtaking array of scenes, the film showcases Von Stroheim's masterful ability to breathe life into complex characters, his painstaking attention to societal detail, and his flair for chilling violence. The performances are nothing short of electrifying, with Zasu Pitts delivering an unforgettable portrayal of her career's singular tragic role, and Gibson Gowland leaving an indelible mark as McTeague.