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Mcteague Character Analysis

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Reverting Back to a Greedy Animal In the novel McTeague by Frank Norris, the author touches on various themes throughout the novel. Many of the characters exhibit animalistic qualities, greediness, and/or both. Characters are often compared to as animals, while others let their greed overcome them. Some characters— McTeague and Trina—also return to a previous place and/or state of being. Of all the themes noted in McTeague, the animal-like qualities, the greed, and the reversion of the characters are major reoccurring themes that can be found in the selected passage on page 323 of the novel. One of the main significance of the passage on page 323 is the mention of animalist characters. For example, the main character, McTeague, is depicted as having a “strange sixth senses, that obscure brute instinct” that was warning him of something that was about to happen (Norris 323). A sixth sense is an inborn instinct that most animals have. It acts a warning that something is about to happen or someone will appear. It is this instinct that causes McTeague believe someone or something is coming for him and to flee from the mine. Also, McTeague is often described as a brute, which is another term for a savage animal. The reference to a brute is seen various times throughout the novel and describes the innate nature of McTeague. Frank Norris depicts McTeague as a “draft horse, immensely strong, stupid, docile, obedient” (3). Draft horses were often used for labor work similar to

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