McTeague: A Story of San Francisco | Objects, Setting & Important Places

McTeague: A Story of San Francisco Objects/Places

The Concertina

Perhaps McTeague's most prized possession from his bachelor days, the concertina symbolizes, in turn, McTeague's independence, his renewed ability to stand up to his wife (when he refuses to sell it) and his loss of control (when he finds that Trina has sold it).

The Canary

McTeague's pet throughout the whole of the novel, the canary is the creature who is with McTeague at this death, thus having accompanied him full-circle, from the beginning of his emotional journey to the end. He is the one constant in McTeague's life.

Trina's Wedding Bouquet

Pressed behind glass and preserved, Trina's bouquet becomes symbolic of the state of their marriage. Both are frozen in time, untouched by the changing elements around them. The bouquet symbolizes an irretrievable moment of happiness.

The Coffee-Joint

The place where McTeague takes his Sunday lunch, and where he and Marcus pass time together is the Coffee-Joint.

Cliff House

The bar and billiard hall wherein Marcus "gives" Trina...
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