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| https://history.denverlibrary.org/news/colorado-coal-miners-canary-coal-mine-was-mouse |
The next two lessons in the book Six One Acts Plays talk about two disasters - One is a coal mine disaster and the play Old Man River talks about a disaster caused by floods. These lessons teach us invaluable lessons in disaster management and survival skills. The play 'Hewers of Coal' presents a group of miners and shows them at a time when they all face a crisis. The characters are nicely differentiated and drawn with great insight into human nature. There is no room for useless dialogue of irrelevant action in the play. Because of the limited space, the exposition of the theme and its development take place simultaneously. On the whole Hewers of Coal is a moving play which shows human nature both at its basest and finest. Hewer - A person who hews, makes or shapes with an axe. Four men and a boy are trapped at the coalface (an exposed surface of coal in a mine) in this famous play about a 1930's mining disaster. The play shows human nature both at its best and worst. The play elucidates that co-workers and supervisors should be empathetic towards their own problems. The characters are a cross-section of what one would find in a Mine: Dick, understanding, sympathetic and full of kindness. Billie, young innocent kid. He is forced to work in the mine for running the household because of ill father and dead mother. He is exceedingly lovable because of his innocence. Peter, a handyman doing odd jobs, selfish but changes a lot in the second half of the play. and uncooperative. Bob, the gaffer - (a person who exercises control over his workers), bossy and hard- hearted and unfriendly. He is not friendly with Dick in the first part of the play but is thankful to Dick towards the end of the play. Joe, hungry, exhausted and desperate. His hunger slowly puts him to death and frees him from all suffering and makes the play a tragedy. Joe Corrie (1894-1968) was a Scottish miner, poet and playwright best known for his radical, working-class plays. Joe Corrie himself was working in the coal mines. Hence, he was well attuned to the problems faced by miners. Thus, the play depicts perfectly a time of crisis in the depths of coal mines.
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