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North of Boston · Character

Silas

A broken-down hired man who walks thirteen miles back to the farm he once worked, carrying a plan he may not live to explain.

major

Also known as Poor Silas, Si, himself, him

First appearance: The Death of the Hired Man

As a major figure in North of Boston, Silas is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

An old, unreliable hired hand who returns to the Warren farm and later dies there.
In the storyNorth of BostonOpen this moment free

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Silas arrives at Warren and Mary's farmhouse worn past saving, yet insists he has come to ditch the meadow and offers a plan for the work. He has a wealthy brother nearby, a bank director, whom he has never once asked…

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The fuller portrait of Silas sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Silas in The Death of the Hired Man

Character Web

8 connections

A slice of how Silas sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

WAWarrenANAnneMAMaryHAHadesHWHarold WilsonSISilas

Relationship types

  • Professional
  • Family
  • Social
  • Rivalry
  • Other

Character groups

  • Farm and domestic conflicts
  • Community and family ties
  • Diverse voices and references

+3 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

SetupAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

The emotional and psychological peak occurs when the speaker admits he is "overtired / Of the great harvest I…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

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Relationships

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Silas in The Death of the Hired Man

In the story

Silas appears across 3 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Silas unlock in the free preview.

See Silas in The Death of the Hired Man