In the epigraph of “Life in the Iron Mills,” the author employs an allusion to Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "In Memoriam A.H.H." to set expectations for the rest of the tale:
Is this the end?
Life, as futile, then, as frail!
What hope of answer or redress?
"In Memoriam A.H.H." is a long poem in which Tennyson reflects on the death of his best friend Arthur Henry Hallam. Although it's supposedly about the loss of one man, it's also a bigger meditation on determinism and the nature of death itself. In this way, it resonates with the overarching themes of despair and hopelessness in the face of an unbending, unkind society in "Life in the Iron Mills."
By referencing this poem, Davis suggests that the story is not just about the individual tragedy of Hugh’s suicide. It can also be read as an elegy for all of the industrial workers of the mid-19th century who faced similar hardships and injustices. The epigraph—like the story that follows it—raises questions about the purpose and value of life in a world filled with suffering and injustice. It asks whether there is any “hope of answer or redress” for the nastiness of life, especially lives as full of grime and sadness as Deb’s and Hugh’s. Indeed, this phrase contains one of the story’s central ideas: that in many cases, seeking justice or change in a society that perpetuates inequality is a useless errand, and that the only hope is in change. In this way, it also aligns with Davis’s main argument in “Life in the Iron Mills.” The epigraph and the story both mourn the futility of how things currently are, asking the reader to consider whether and how things might be different.
Mitchell uses allusion and cruel verbal irony to comment on Hugh’s response to Dr. May declining to help him:
'Are you answered? Why, May, look at him! 'De profundis clamavi.' Or, to quote in English, 'Hungry and thirsty, his soul faints in him.'
In this scene, Kirby, Dr. May, and Mitchell have acknowledged that Hugh’s statue is of artistic interest, and Dr. May has encouraged him to pursue some kind of further work in art or social leadership. When Hugh agrees and asks for help, however, the doctor turns him down, to which Mitchell reacts in this unkind way. The (slightly mistranslated) allusion to the Latin phrase "De profundis clamavi”—which translates to "Out of the depths I have cried”—is a reference to Psalm 130 from the Bible. Mitchell's use of this phrase is mean-spirited: he’s invoking a solemn and traditionally religious expression to make fun of the awful situation Hugh is in. The Latin phrase is often associated with prayers for the dead or expressions of deep sorrow, which adds insult to injury here given that Mitchell is using it to belittle Hugh's suffering.
The verbal irony in Mitchell's statement comes from the opposition between what he says and what he means. If he was seriously quoting Psalm 130 he would be implying that Hugh is experiencing a form of spiritual starvation, in addition to the physical needs that keep him trapped at the mill. However, Mitchell's tone and context suggest that he doesn’t genuinely believe Hugh's soul is in distress. Rather, he is using this expression to mock the seriousness of Hugh's condition. By quoting the Bible in this way, Mitchell is being cruelly ironic, as he uses religious language to trivialize Hugh’s real suffering and embarrassment.
