The Toilers of the Field

"The Toilers of the Field" by Richard Jefferies is a compilation of writings that explores the world of late 19th-century agricultural workers and farmers. It paints a clear picture of rural life, highlighting the difficulties faced by those who worked the land. Jefferies examines the different groups within the farming community, providing observations on their everyday lives, social connections, and the effects of new farming methods. The book starts with detailed descriptions of farmers' and laborers' lives, including their homes and daily chores, describing farmhouses, their designs, and the roles of the people who lived there. The descriptions emphasize the hard work, community relationships, and social ranks that existed in rural life, as well as hints at the economic and social changes happening in English agriculture, capturing both the appeal and the struggles of the farming way of life.