# Mary Burke — King Coal character guide > Mary Burke in King Coal by Upton Sinclair. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Mary, Burke **First appearance:** 0004-i ## Who they are A sharp-tongued Irish mine girl whose grit and hard-won knowledge of the camps challenge everything Hal thought he understood about class and courage. ## Relationships ### [Hal Warner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/characters/hal_warner) _romantic_ Hal and Mary share a deep romantic bond, with Mary serving as both a love interest and a moral anchor for Hal amidst the coal mine conflicts. ### [Joe Smith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/characters/joe_smith) _family_ Joe Smith is Mary Burke's father, a miner who shares her concern for justice and supports her relationship with Hal. ### [Hal Warner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/characters/hal_warner) _romantic_ Hal and Mary share a deep romantic bond, with Mary serving as both a love interest and a moral anchor for Hal amidst the coal mine conflicts. ### [Hal Warner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/characters/hal_warner) _romantic_ Hal and Mary share a deep romantic bond, with Mary serving as both a love interest and a moral anchor for Hal amidst the coal mine conflicts. ### [Joe Smith](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/characters/joe_smith) _family_ Joe Smith is Mary Burke's father, a miner who shares her concern for justice and supports her relationship with Hal. ## In the story ### [Book I: The Domain of King Coal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/book-i-the-domain-of-king-coal) Emerges as a leader among the miners. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/vii) The Irish girl with auburn hair and grey eyes, taking in the wash, engages Hal in a poetic conversation. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/viii) Mary introduces herself as 'Red Mary,' displays fierce pride and defiance, and expresses hatred for North Valley. ### [Chapter X](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/x) Mentioned as one of the individuals etching into Hal's picture, moving him to sympathy and fellowship. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xii) Hosts Hal, shares her passion for books, and expresses hopelessness about her life in the coal camp. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xiii) Reveals her father's alcoholism and her hatred for O'Callahan; discusses the systemic causes of drinking in the mining camp. ### [Chapter XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xviii) Teases Hal about living with Italians; boldly speaks the word 'union' in the Rafferty home, defying the camp's silence. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xix) Mary confides in Hal about the constant sexual advances from bosses and the pressure on her father, revealing her frustration and the camp's moral decay. ### [Chapter XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxiii) Visits the Minettis with custard for the sick baby, adopts a cheerful 'company manner' and teases Hal about his work and appearance. ### [Chapter XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxiv) Pleads with Hal to quit mining; confesses her despair and entrapment in poverty; asks Hal to take her away, then is hurt when he refuses. ### [XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxviii) Mentioned as someone who speaks scornfully of the workers, contrasting with Olson's faith in them. ### [Book II: The Serfs of King Coal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/book-ii-the-serfs-of-king-coal) Mary emerges as a voice of rebellion, challenging the company's authority. ### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/ii) Expresses skepticism about organizing the men, but is drawn into Hal's plans; appears paler and thinner. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/iii) Reveals her despair and fierce love for the miners; she guides Hal to John Edstrom. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/iv) Voices corrosive despair about change; argues with Edstrom's ant metaphor. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/viii) Attends the meeting but is in a pessimistic mood, which frustrates Hal. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/ix) Warns Hal against violent retaliation, advocating self-control and caution. Her intervention teaches Hal a lesson in pride and leadership. ### [XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xvi) Hal recalls Mary Burke's pessimism about the workers, which gnaws at his soul as he contemplates the bosses' contempt. ### [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxvii) Informs Hal about the danger; physically restrains him and argues for caution. ### [XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxviii) Suffers hysterical weeping after witnessing the women's grief, especially Mrs. Zamboni's; she feels the future is hopeless and cannot imagine happiness after such sights. ### [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxix) Lures Hal away from Number Two to avoid conflict; witnesses the disaster's aftermath. ### [The Torturing Suspense](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxx) Worn out from the disaster, confronts Hal about his identity and her feelings, expressing her despair and longing for a better life. ### [XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxxi) Mary confesses her love to Hal, proposing a relationship without marriage or commitment, and pleads with him to take her away from the camp. ### [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxxii) Helps by taking Hal's envelope of money to the post office for John Edstrom. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/viii) Implied as the redheaded Irish girl in the slander. ### [Chapter XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxiv) Mary is distraught over the treatment of women in the camp and becomes acutely aware of her own appearance and social standing when meeting Jessie. ### [Chapter XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxv) Observes Hal's departure with Jessie; her voice is hard and cold, indicating her disappointment. ### [Book IV: The Will of King Coal](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/book-iv-the-will-of-king-coal) Emerges as a leader among the miners, advocating for their rights and challenging the company's tyranny. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/i) Sought by Hal to help with the injured list but is absent and deliberately avoiding him. ### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/iv) Leads the crowd with a fiery speech, calling for a union and a strike; described as a Joan of Arc-like figure with a glory in her face. ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/v) Mary's speech is cut short when the crowd moves toward the hospital. ### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/vi) Called by Hal to serve on the committee to stay with the sick miners. ### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/viii) Returns from the hospital, reports on injured miners signing releases, and is added to the delegation to Cartwright. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/ix) Insists Hal is needed at the critical moment; Hal praises her argumentative skills. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xiii) Mary is among the committee members forcibly taken by the company's gunmen. ### [XIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xix) Part of the kidnapped committee heading to Pedro; described as a 'Joan of Arc of the coal-camps'. ### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxi) Silent and furious at the failure, but ultimately suggests using a widow's veil to infiltrate the camp. ### [XXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxii) Helps adjust Hal's disguise and stays behind to answer the door. ### [XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxvi) Mary is present upstairs with Moylan and Hartman, eager to hear Hal's story. ### [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxvii) Mary retracts her earlier offer to go away with Hal, expressing bitterness about class differences and her encounter with Jessie Arthur. ### [Chapter XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxviii) Delivers a passionate monologue about class oppression, her hatred for Jessie Arthur, and her commitment to the labor struggle. ### [Chapter XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxix) Accompanies Hal, holds Edstrom's hand, and expresses passionate sympathy. ### [Farewells and Promises](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxx) Shows unwavering cheerfulness despite hardship, accepts help for Edstrom, and declares herself a unionist. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/characters/mary_burke - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/characters