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. Like a drug, however, a greater dosage is needed to sustain McTeague's high. He begins to verbally abuse the girl, refusing her simple affections and pleasures. Then, as his financial life begins to slide downhill, McTeague begins the physical abuse. A slap here, a punch there, until the boxing of ears is a commonplace occurrence. McTeague acts like a grizzly bear keeping its mate from wandering to far. Even this doesn't please his sadistic nature. McTeague begins to drink, and his alcohol-sodden brain allows the beast to take full control. He begins biting Trina's fingers. Although the skin is not usually broken by his chomps, her fingers are bruised to the point where she finds work difficult if not incapacitating. Eventually, McTeague does begin to break her flesh with his teeth, and the paint that she works with poisons her fingers, requiring amputation. Mutilated and finally crushed, Trina leaves McTeague, causing the beast to take full control of the fallen man.
McTeague's pact with nature is sealed when he kills Trina in the coatroom of a school. When he flees, he relies on his animal instincts to keep him alive. Like a deer chased by a wolf, McTeague manages to elude his pursuers until they trap him in Death Valley. The hunting pack then closes in, and McTeague joins the hunters in a blood-soaked death.
Trina is as much an animal as her husband. She is initially repelled by the dentist's brutish nature, but as soon as he casts his dominating spell on him, her masochistic animal nature awakens. She experiences sexual arousal from McTeague's domination, and is hooked from the first time. Her love is a deadly addiction; the drug eats away at her until she "dies."" She stays with McTeague through the beatings, the chewings, and the verbal abuse, always coming back for more because she likes it.
Written in 1899, Frank Norris" novel, McTeague serves as a view of San Francisco at the turn of the century. ... Then McTeague kills Trina. Finally, Marcus tracks down McTeague in the desert and they both die as McTeague kills Marcus and then he himself dies. ... However, the most poignant picture painted is one of animalism. ...
