McTeague

With McTeague, I found McTeague's courtship of Trina to be very interesting. At this time period it is very common for the male to send the female gifts to gain her favor, but in McTeague this doesn't happen. Trina even makes note of this where she compares the way that McTeague is courting her with the way Marcus had courted her. I am surprised that Trina allowed her relationship with McTeague to grow because he bumbled every step of the way.

From their first "intimate" interaction where McTeague kissed her while unconscious and then asks her to marry him. The book does not indicate that Trina was aware that she was kissed by McTeague, which works in McTeague's favor, but with McTeague hounding her to marry him after she had just gained consciousness should have caused her to run off and never turn back.

I can't help but think that their position in society gave more leeway in the bundles made by McTeague during the courtship. By being "lower class" the courtship appears to be less formal than those from the "upper class". Tying into the "lower class" is the fact that Trina's parents are either immigrants or first generation children of immigrants that caused them to not be aware of the courtship traditions of America which also played in McTeague's favor. It appears that Trina's parents are decieved by the fact that McTeague is a "Doctor", and thus gives him more credit then he deserves.

With all this in mind, Trina is aware of all of these things and yet she still ends up marrying McTeague. I am floored. I figure that Trina would never interact with McTeague again after the "Marry Me" incident.