McTeague or Animalism Essay -- essays research papers

McTeague, or Animalism - unpublishedThe last decennium of the twentieth century in America adage a rise in programs for humans self betterment. A popular form of betterment is that of the inner animal. Interest in primal American animal mysticism, vision quests, and totem animals have increased dramatically in the past few years. No forms of media have been spared Calvin Kleins supermodels spot on during sitcom commercials to tell viewers they need to be a beast, or to get in touch with their animal wi turn out. In the last decade of the nineteenth century, however, animalism was viewed not as a method of self-improvement but as the reprehensible side of humanity that lingered beneath the surface, wait for an opportune time to come out and play. In Frank Norris new McTeague, world are no better than the beasts they claim to control. They cage and bedevil defenseless creatures, but cage and torment themselves far, far, worse. McTeague, Trina, Zerkow, and Marcus are animals in thin humans clothing, wal world-beater the forests of McTeague, waiting for the luck to shed their spit out and tear each other apart, while the real animals of the world plow leading lives far superior to their human counterparts.McTeague, the title character of the work, is the king of beasts in San Francisco. A charlatan dentist who constantly mumbles and growls when speaking, he makes his livelihood by causing great pain to his fellow human beings. The char he falls in love with, Trina Sieppe, is a patient in his chair. McTeagues love is spawned from the agony of false orthodontics. Although etherized, Trina experiences the hurt of McTeagues drills. As he works his macabre work on the beautiful girl, McTeague begins to render her as more than and more attractive. The pain is a sexual gas for McTeague like an animal on the consort, he becomes aroused by the pitiable he causes Trina. The instinct to take advantage of the defenseless girl becomes overpowering, and he event ually gives in to his raging, bestial nature and plants a dog-like smooch on her lips. From this love forged in sex, the downfall of McTeague and Trina is cast.McTeague resembles the beast inside more and more as his marriage progresses. At first, sexually dominating Trina satiates him. standardized a drug, however, a greater dosage is ne... ...bspThe final stab at humans is the way the animals in the story act. The two dogs in the thoroughfare are constantly fighting each other with barks. They are bound to cages, so for a long time they never have the opportunity to come to blows. Cages can only hold a creature for a finite amount of time, however, and eventually an opportunity arises where the two animals finally meet. quite of tearing each other to shreds, they sniff each other and bet quite satisfied with the other. The fact that the dogs can succeed where the humans failed goes a long way in explaining the other characters actions.The quadruplet principle characters of McTeague fall short where two simple-minded canines win. According to Norris, humans are less than animals they are slow-witted beasts barely able to come to grips with their own nature. Instead of pretending they are so high and mighty, Norris forces hatful to realize that their humanity causes them to fall beneath the animals. The very things humans self-respect themselves on are their downfall, and the animals are laughing, laughing as humans hunt and kill themselves closer and closer to extinction.