Mcteague As A Social Commentary Essay - 816 Words

Written in 1899, Frank Norris’ novel, McTeague serves as a view of societal factions of his time period. Norris illustrates the stratification of society in this San Francisco community by using the concept of Social Darwinism. He gives detailed accounts of the inner workings of society along with the emotions of the time. Through his characters, Norris shows the separation of classes and the greed that grew abundantly during the late 19th century. He also gives a grim picture of survival in his depiction of the theory of natural selection. In the first chapter, Norris paints a picture of a town setting. He describes Polk Street as â€Å"one of those cross streets peculiar to Western cities, situated in the heart of the residence quarter,†¦show more content†¦These people are separated by their occupation, which also determines their activity on Polk Street. In noticing this activity, one can see the distinct lines drawn between the workers and the wealthy. Also, in this story of greed and deception told, the reader can see the underlying greed of the working class. The characters of Maria Macapa and Zerkow ooze greed from every pore. At the beginning of the novel, Maria can be found going through the tenant’s apartments for â€Å"junk† to turn in to Zerkow for payment. Once there, she delights in telling the story of her family’s former fortune concentrating on a gold plate, for which Zerkow drools over the mere thought of. It is in this scene that the reader also learns of the obsession