North of Boston · Character

Unknown Narrator

The voice who finds Silas huddled at the barn door and drags him in, then pleads his case to a skeptical husband over the kitchen table.

major

Also known as your, mine, myself, yours

First appearance: The Pasture

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

The speaker who invites a companion to join in tending the pasture spring and the calf.

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This narrator is the farm wife who discovers the worn-out Silas asleep against the barn and brings him inside, giving him tea and trying to coax him into talk. Her loyalty to the old man puts her at odds with Warren, who wants only to know whether Silas actually came to ditch the meadow. Her tender, stubborn defense of Silas's self-respect sets the emotional stakes of the household drama that follows.

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See Unknown Narrator in The Pasture

Character Web

14 connections

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

Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Protagonist
Community and family ties
Diverse voices and references
Rural community members

+9 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…

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In the story

Unknown Narrator appears across 14 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Pasture
The speaker who invites a companion to join in tending the pasture spring and the calf.
North of Boston
The speaker who observes and recounts the scenes and conversations throughout the collection.
Mending Wall
The speaker who initiates the wall mending and questions its purpose.
The Mountain
The speaker who describes the mountain and converses with the farmer.
Home Burial
The husband who speaks to his wife Amy, trying to understand her grief and prevent her from leaving.
The Black Cottage
The speaker who accompanies the minister to the cottage and listens to his reflections.
Blueberries
The primary speaker who describes seeing the blueberries and encountering Loren.
A Servant to Servants
The speaker, a woman who confides her struggles and family history to a visitor camping on her land.
After Apple-Picking
The speaker of the poem, an apple picker who is overtired and drifting into a dreamlike sleep after the harvest.
The Code
The town-bred farmer who fails to understand the local labor code and makes an innocent comment that offends James.
The Housekeeper
The speaker who visits the housekeeper and learns about Estelle's departure.
The Fear
The woman, whose name is not given, is the primary speaker, driven by fear and a need to confront the perceived intruder.
The Wood-Pile
The speaker who ventures into the frozen swamp, observes the bird, and contemplates the abandoned woodpile.
Good Hours
The speaker who walks alone through the village on a winter evening, observing the cottages and their inhabitants from outside.

Chapter companion notes

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See Unknown Narrator in The Pasture