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Chapter 11
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 month after the picnic, Zerkow is sitting with Maria and asking her to tell him about her golden plates again. Maria tells Zerkow that she does not know what he is talking about. Maria is horribly depressed because she recently gave birth to a child, who died immediately. She is out of her mind with grief. Meanwhile, Zerkow does not seem to care at all. He starts asking Maria about the golden plates again only one week after the child’s death. At this point, Zerkow is certain that the golden plates exist—and that Maria still has access to them. He wants to continue to discuss them with her in the hopes that he will be able to find them.
Zerkow remains more of a caricature than a character, as his obsession with greed rises to cartoonish heights (which perhaps reflects Norris’s antisemitism more than anything else). Zerkow’s fixation on Maria’s golden plates even after they have lost a child demonstrates that he cares about greed above all else. In contrast, Maria’s depression indicates that her priorities are different. The story of the gold plates never meant anything to her, but the loss of her child is devastating.
Themes
When Maria tells Zerkow that she does not know anything about the plates, Zerkow threatens to hit her. Again, Maria insists that she does not know what he is talking about. At night, Zerkow begins searching through their house, certain that Maria has hidden the plates somewhere. After searching and repeatedly failing to find what he is looking for, Zerkow beats Maria with a whip. Still, Maria insists that she does not know anything about the plates.
The escalating violence between Zerkow and Maria reflects the corrosive effects of greed. Zerkow’s relentless search and physical abuse of Maria illustrate his descent into madness driven by his obsession for wealth. Maria becomes a helpless victim of Zerkow’s delusional greed, as the idea of wealth—not even wealth itself—once again becomes the source of violence.
Themes
One night, Maria runs to Marcus’s apartment and begs him for help. She says that Zerkow has a knife and plans to kill her if she does not give him the golden plates. Indeed, Zerkow comes running after Maria. Marcus, unafraid, threatens Zerkow and warns him to go away, which he eventually does. Once he is gone, Marcus asks Maria why she told Zerkow about the plates in the first place. Maria insists that she did no such thing and thinks Zerkow is simply crazy.
Here, Marcus demonstrates that he can be a brave and noble person when setting aside the question of McTeague and Trina’s fortune. He defends Trina against Zerkow, even though he and Zerkow have the same flaw: their shared obsession with acquiring wealth.
Themes
The same night, Trina tells McTeague that she thinks Marcus is packing up and going away. Indeed, the following morning, Trina gets a letter from Mrs. Sieppe letting her know that Mr. Sieppe found a ranch for Marcus to buy. Additionally, Mrs. Sieppe says that the family is doing poorly and asks Trina to send $50. Trina talks to McTeague about the money, and it quickly becomes apparent that she is not interested in sending it. McTeague says that she is being stingy and insists that she sends it. As usual, Trina claims she does not have the money and downplays the amount of money she has saved up.
Trina’s reluctance to send money and her misrepresentation of her savings highlight her miserly nature. McTeague’s insistence on sending the money contrasts with Trina’s stinginess. He does not see why they should hoard the money for themselves when Trina’s family is obviously suffering. This difference in opinion demonstrates just how much wealth has corrupted Trina’s brain, as she is willing to ignore the needs of even those she cares for most if it means keeping her money.
Themes
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Eventually, McTeague gets Trina to agree to sending $25. However, Trina procrastinates and does not send the money. A few weeks later, she asks McTeague if he will give her half of the $25 from his own savings. McTeague agrees and gives her the money. Then, Trina sends only the money McTeague gave her and does not contribute anything herself, though McTeague does not know this.
This moment reinforces Trina’s manipulative behavior and the extent of her miserliness. This act of deception illustrates the deepening mistrust and financial secrecy within their marriage. At this point, it is Trina’s low point, though she seems to only be getting worse.
Themes
A few nights later, Trina and McTeague are together in their sitting room. Trina asks McTeague if he still loves her as much as he used to. McTeague says that he does, though Trina seems unconvinced. Then, there is a knock at the door. Trina answers it and finds that it is Marcus, who has come to say goodbye. Trina suspects that Marcus wants to borrow money—she doesn’t know why else he would come talk to the McTeagues after the incident in the park. However, Marcus does not ask for money. Instead, he is pleasant and wishes the McTeagues good luck. Marcus makes a point of telling McTeague that he hopes McTeague’s business does well. Once he has said his goodbyes, Marcus leaves.
Just as McTeague is insecure and concerned about finances, Trina is insecure about whether McTeague loves her. Although McTeague’s response is not convincing, it is not clear that Trina’s answer would be any different. From the beginning of their marriage, she has never been sure of her love for McTeague. Meanwhile, Marcus’s farewell seems suspicious as there is no reason for him to suddenly wish for McTeague’s success, leading the reader to wonder whether he has ulterior motives.
Themes
