# Red Mary — King Coal character guide

> Red Mary in King Coal by Upton Sinclair.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Mary, Red-faced feller

**First appearance:** 0004-i

## Snapshot

A fiery Irish miner whose defiant cry for union and courage cuts through the silence of the coal camp.

## Who they are

Mary Burke, called Red Mary, is a miner's daughter whose grey eyes flash with defiance when others whisper. She names the dread word 'union' aloud in the Rafferty home, shaming the men who fear to speak it. Her boldness and suffering make her the emotional conscience of the camp, pushing Hal to see the miners not as victims but as potential fighters.

## In the story

### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/chapters/xxiii)

Red Mary bursts in, half-fainting, reporting that the company is beating back women and hiding the true death toll.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/characters/red_mary
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/king_coal_se/characters