Chapter 1 Summary

McTeague is a bachelor, indulging in his usual Sunday custom of dinner at 2 p.m. in the coffee-joint frequented by the car conductors. After finishing his meal, McTeague heads to the local pub and picks up a pitcher of beer, which he then takes back to his dental office, or "Parlours," where he enjoys his drink and the music of his concertina. The music reminds him of when he worked at the Big Dipper Mine in Placer County.

The author gives a glimpse into McTeague's past. As a child, McTeague goes away with a travelling dentist to learn the trade and start his career, a career in which he is still engaged. While he undertakes his training, however, his mother dies and leaves him a good sum of money. With it, he starts his own dental business on Polk Street, and when the...