Death of a Hired Man

Subject Matter The content matter of the poem is of a couple that live on a erect. bloody shame is sat waiting for rabbit warren to arrive home. When she sees him she enounces him that Silas is back. The two begin talking about Silas and Mary tells warren how worn out he looks. They talk about how he used to work on the leaven and the boy that used to work with him, who is now a scholar to Silass dislike. Mary then tell warren that Silas has come here to break dance and how he sees this entrust as his home. Warren mentions Silas rich brother and how Silas wont go to see him because of his pride.Warren goes inside to how Silas is doing and when he cave ins out side he tell Mary that he is dead. Themes The themes that are present in this poem is conduct as salubrious as death, Family & Friendship, Home and belonging. Life & Death The awareness of death is set when Mary says he has come home to die/ you neednt be afraid hell leave you this condemnation and the couple start to remember of Silass life and the things that he used to do. Character Development Marys character is shown us from the first line.Although the day has been busybusy comely that she and her husband had to go their separate ways to get everything d unmatchable, with Warren reversive from the market at or after dark, Mary just waits at the table, being close to Silas should he wake up, but non work with end-of-day tasks such that she might miss the sound of Warrens approach. She does non dare miss Warren at the door, and prepare him for what he leave al matchless find in the kitchen. Mary is a mixture of mixtureness, firmness, and resolve. She advises her husband to Be kind then you mustnt laugh at him and then Go look. See for yourself. Yet she only does this after she has softened Warrens hard crust. She is concerned that Warren will lose Silas feelings. She dragged Silas into the house, gave him tea, tried to leave him smoke, urges him to talk about his situation. She is comforting to the wayward worker. And his sorry condition hurt her heart the way he lay/ And rolled his old point in time on that penetrating-edged chair-back. Yet, she is firm and resolved. Before Warren ever gets home and gives her consent, she has cater and entertained Silas, and made up a bed for him. She seems fairly indisputable that she buns convince Warren that Silas must stay.Yet, she also trusts her man. While he has that crust she must break through, she allows him time alone with Silas and seems sure that Warren will do the right and charitable thing. Warrens Character Warrens Character Contrasts with Marys in The Death of the Hired small-arm Warren returns from the market, probably at late twilight, expecting to find dinner on the table, and instead finds the next-to-worthless Silas returned, in the dead of winter, at a time when set up hands are not really needed. He hears that Silas plans to ditch the hayfield this time, something that apparently has come su rrounded by them before.Warren sees himself as a kind man. He has put up with Silas in times gone, perhaps for several seasons. The spoken communication imply several cycles of hiring, leaving for better wages or for whatever, return in the off-season, and re-hiring. Warren, rather than interfere when Silas argued the value of education with the young farm hand working a summer while in college, stayed well out of earshot and let them argue. He has been kind. Yet he is cynical. He smiled at Marys description of Silas as a humiliated sight, drawing from her a mild rebuke. Will Silas really work this time?Mary describes his condition as poor, and thinks he might be past his working days. Warren disputes that sight unseen. If Silas is to stay with them he is to work for his keep. Warren is not uncharitable he just believes Silas brother, whom he thinks is well-to-do, should be the one to provide care. Silas, the Unreliable Hired Man Although Silas never s line of longitudes in this poem, more is revealed about him. He has a disdain for learning. He has trouble staying with a job when he thinks he can make more specie elsewhere. He takes advantage of peak confinement times to sell himself to the highest bidder.He makes promises he cannot keep, such as ditching the meadow. This is a curious phrase. What does it mean? Is the meadow peaked(predicate) drained and in need of having some ditches cuthard, backbreaking labor? If so, it appears Silas abandoned Warren and Mary when they needed him most. Or is this some kind of useless task that Silas thought needed doing but which Warren had no intention of paying for? Either way, although it is a point of contention between the farm couple and the laborer, the fact that Silas is fixated on it declares his stubbornness.Conflict Handled Through Words and Actions, not Telling The conflict between Warren and Mary reaches a peak when Mary says, he has come home to die, and Warren says, Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in. Mary seems to bristle at this and gives a sharp reply I should have called it/ Something you somehow havent to deserve. What does this mean? Is it a generic description of home, that no one has to do something to deserve what should be theirs?Or is she saying that Warren is not deserving of the home he has, a stronger statement? The conflict is sharp enough that Warren leaves the front steps and does something meaningless he walks a few feet, picks up a small stick, brings it back to the steps, breaks it, and throws the parts away. He seems to be doing something physical as a means of breaking the stress with his wife. The poem ends with the three main characters well developed, mostly through negotiation but also through a minimum of actions. Much can be learned about them in these few lines excellently crafted.