North of Boston · Theme
Work and Labor
How North of Boston develops Work and Labor.
Physical labor, particularly farming and manual work, is central to the characters' identities and struggles, as in 'After Apple-Picking,' which reflects on the exhaustion and meaning of harvest, and 'The Code,' which examines pride and misunderstanding in haying.
Where it surfaces
- The Death of the Hired Man
Silas's identity is tied to his work, especially haying, and his inability to work anymore signals his approaching end.
- A Servant to Servants
The speaker is consumed by endless domestic chores, cooking and cleaning for hired men, with no end in sight.
- After Apple-Picking
The poem centers on the physical and mental exhaustion of apple picking, emphasizing the repetitive, demanding nature of the harvest and the speaker's desire for rest.
- The Code
The poem explores the unwritten rules of farm labor, where a worker's pride and autonomy are paramount, and being told how to do a job is a grave insult.
- The Housekeeper
John's inability to manage the farm and his neglect of haying and hoeing highlight the collapse of productive labor in the face of personal crisis.
- The Self-Seeker
The mill worker's injury and settlement negotiation highlight the physical toll of industrial labor and the devaluation of a worker's body and life.
- The Wood-Pile
The woodpile represents forgotten labor—the axe work and effort of someone who 'spent himself' on the task, only to leave it behind.