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

See Silas in North of Boston Book page

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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 for help — a silence Mary reads as pride and Warren as something closer to worthlessness. His stubborn refusal of pity, and the question of why he chose this door over his brother's, is what the poem turns on.

Continue beside the text

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.

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.

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

Warren
professional · ambivalent
Silas and Warren have a professional relationship, likely as employer and hired hand,… How this plays out →
Harold Wilson
rivalry · negative
Anne
family · ambivalent
Mary
social · positive
Mary
social · positive
Warren
professional · ambivalent
Silas and Warren have a professional relationship, likely as employer and hired hand,… How this plays out →
Anne
family · ambivalent

Warren
Silas and Warren have a professional relationship, likely as employer and hired hand, with tension over work and obligation.
Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson and Silas are rivals, likely competing for work or status in the community, with underlying hostility.
Anne
Anne and Silas are likely family members, possibly siblings or parent-child, with a caring but strained dynamic.
Mary
Mary and Silas have a social acquaintance, likely as neighbors or through Warren, with Mary showing concern for Silas.
Mary
Mary and Silas have a social acquaintance, likely as neighbors or through Warren, with Mary showing concern for Silas.
Warren
Silas and Warren have a professional relationship, likely as employer and hired hand, with tension over work and obligation.
Anne
Anne and Silas are likely family members, possibly siblings or parent-child, with a caring but strained dynamic.

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

See Silas in North of Boston