Mcteague Apr 2026

Though it shocked contemporary readers with its violence and "sordid" details, McTeague remains a landmark of American literature. It was later adapted by Erich von Stroheim into the 1924 silent film Greed , widely considered one of the greatest—and most ambitious—motion pictures ever made.

The story follows McTeague, a slow-witted, towering man who practices dentistry without a license. His life is stable, if dull, until he falls for Trina Sieppe, the cousin of his best friend, Marcus Schouler. McTeague

is consumed by a sense of entitlement over the money he feels he "gave away" by introducing McTeague to Trina. Though it shocked contemporary readers with its violence