McTeague

McTeague is a 1899 novel by Frank Norris, and is considered one of the best works of realism fiction. The novel centers around a simple-minded dentist simply called "McTeague", who lives in turn of the century San Fransisco. McTeague's life changes when he offers to operate on his friend's cousin, Trina Sieppe, on her broken tooth. McTeague and Trina soon become a couple, and plan to wed. Everyone's lives are then changed forever when Trina finds she has won $5000 in the lottery...

McTeague is a realist novel famous for its black and grey morality, and how the events unfold is seen as a natural event due to the environments surrounding the characters, a staple in realist literature. Its protagonists, men and women alike, are shown as both products and victims of a debasing social order.

McTeague was also adapted in a movie, Greed, in 1924 by Erich von Stronheim. Von Stroheim intended to produce a complete adaptation of the book, with none of its material left out; as a result the film's original version lasted approximately ten hours. It was drastically cut by the studio, MGM, and most of the excised footage has been lost.


 * Crapsack World: Oh so very much.
 * Dude, She's Like, in a Coma: Happens after the titular character gives Trina anesthetic. It's implied that this is his compromise between doing nothing and raping her.
 * The Film of the Book: Greed.
 * The Gay Nineties
 * Gold Fever
 * Unfortunate Implications: Jews are greedy lil' grubbers. Sadly, this was (and likely still is) an all too real stereotype of Jews in real life.