| dc.contributor.author | Tobias, Stacey Jo | |
| dc.description.abstract | In McTeague: A Story of San Francisco, Frank Norris explores life among the
working class of Polk Street. Through his unflattering portrayal of all the immigrant
characters in the novel, Norris demonstrates his well-documented beliefs in inherited
degeneracy. The relationship between Zerkow, a Polish Jew, and Maria Macapa, a
Mexican maid, especially highlights these beliefs.
111
Though many scholars have approached Zerkow and Maria as individual characters,
it is the complex dynamic of their relationship which this paper explores. Through the
utilization of Marxist notions of commodity and feminist notions of the body and
reproduction, Maria's sacrifices as an immigrant woman hoping to achieve the social
normalcy of marriage and family become clear. Maria's story (with connections to her
racial heritage) and body become commodities, and ultimately her power to (re )produce is
compromised. Zerkow's greed, apparent not only in his stereotypical Jewish desire for
gold, but also in his desire to possess Maria's story and body, leads to the devaluing of
Maria and to her murder.
Maria and Zerkow are two "racially inferior" characters united through a marriage
based not on love, but opportunity and convenience. Their story demonstrates not only late
nineteenth century ideas about race and immigration, but also Norris's personal contempt
for the immigrant population. | en_US |
| dc.publisher | North Dakota State University | en_US |
| dc.rights | NDSU policy 190.6.2 | en_US |
| dc.title | The Power to (Re )Produce: Biological Determinism in McTeague. | en_US |
| dc.type | Master's Paper | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-01-04T16:02:07Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-01-04T16:02:07Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2010 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/10365/33554 | |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Social Darwinism in literature. | en_US |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Naturalism in literature. | en_US |
| dc.subject.lcsh | Evolution (Biology) in literature. | en_US |
| dc.rights.uri | https://www.ndsu.edu/fileadmin/policy/190.pdf | en_US |
| ndsu.degree | Master of Arts (MA) | en_US |
| ndsu.college | Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences | en_US |
| ndsu.department | English | en_US |
| ndsu.program | English | en_US |
| ndsu.advisor | Totten, Gary | |
