Through the use of juxtaposition of social class, rough diction, and allusion, the narrator nearly mocks the efforts of McTeague to reach a social strata that he has not been destined for, thusly portraying the disdainful yet sympathetic view he has of McTeague as well as individuals like him in society. The narrator creates the image of McTeague as the son of a “charlatan” mother who was of class that was in some way beneath that of the posh society McTeague strives to be a part of. The setback of a lower class in childhood seems surmountable through hard work and brown-nosing, but as McTeague opens his dental office it becomes evident that this is not the case. The description of McTeague as a “draught horse” in a lavish office of fancy technology and gorgeous natural lighting from a bay window creates an…show more content… The sunlight from the large window incidentally points out and shines light on the inconsistency of McTeague and his environment in an ironic way as McTeague intended to use this window in an effort to add to his classy persona. Moreover, the derisive diction of the narrator when he describes McTeague with “heavy ropes of muscle,” and a “square-cut, angular jaw… like that of the carnivora” create a sense of anger in the narrator when describing this character. This anger can be taken in the context of the first and third paragraphs, which present a vast juxtaposition between lower class and upper class, to mean that the narrator disapproves of McTeague attempting to be something he is not. Logically, this frustration can be taken further to prove that the narrator has general hatred for behaviors such as
