McTeague · Chapter
XVIII explained
Trina is haunted by nightmares of Maria's murder, which irritates McTeague, who has become increasingly abusive.
What happens
Trina is haunted by nightmares of Maria's murder, which irritates McTeague, who has become increasingly abusive. He spends his days on long solitary walks, rediscovering his old mining instincts. The couple moves into the very house where Maria was killed to save money, and their living conditions deteriorate rapidly. Trina becomes slovenly and coarse, while McTeague sells his giant golden tooth sign to the Other Dentist for five dollars.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This chapter marks the dramatic climax because it represents the emotional and psychological peak of Trina’s a…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Greed and Avarice
Trina's obsessive saving drives the move to the murder house, prioritizing money over comfort and safety.
- Violence and Brutality
McTeague's physical abuse of Trina escalates, including hitting and biting her fingers.
- Isolation and Loneliness
McTeague seeks solitude in long walks, and Trina feels abandoned and unloved.
Characters to notice
- McTeague
Grows irritated by Trina's nightmares, becomes physically abusive, takes long solitary walks, and sells his golden tooth sign.
- Trina Sieppe
Suffers from nightmares about Maria's murder, becomes slovenly and coarse, and insists on moving to the house where Maria was killed to save money.
- Maria Macapa
Appears in Trina's nightmares, covered in blood.
- Mr. Heise
Mentioned as having given testimony to the coroner with less calmness than Trina.
- Zerkow
The house where he killed Maria becomes the McTeagues' new home.
Key passages
“Oh, Mac, I've only you now, and if you don't love me, what is going to become of me?”
Trina pleads for McTeague's love, feeling utterly dependent on him.
Highlights Trina's emotional vulnerability and McTeague's coldness.
“The instincts of the old-time miner were returning. In the stress of his misfortune McTeague was lapsing back to his early estate.”
McTeague's hardships are causing him to revert to his primitive mining habits.
Shows McTeague's regression to a more basic, instinctual state.
“What odds was it if she was slatternly, dirty, coarse? Was there time to make herself look otherwise, and who was there to be pleased when she was all prinked out?”
Trina questions the point of maintaining appearances given her harsh life and neglectful husband.
Illustrates Trina's descent into apathy and neglect.
