Final answer:
The character Wolfe from Rebecca Harding Davis's 'Life in the Iron Mills' represents a figure that lived a troubled life and died at forty. He symbolizes the harsh realities faced by the working class during the industrial revolution and serves as a broader social commentary.
Step-by-step explanation:
The figure who lived a troubled life and died at the age of forty can be referred to multiple historical or literary figures, as the initial description is quite general. However, while reflecting on the literary excerpts provided, it seems the character Wolfe, from Rebecca Harding Davis's "Life in the Iron Mills," epitomizes the life of a person who has lived through sorrow, poverty, and spiritual despair. The storyline of the character revolves around enduring starved hopes, sickness unto death, and a journey through moral and physical squalor. This portrayal is intended to reveal the dehumanizing effects of the industrial revolution on the working class and offers a broader social criticism through this individual's experiences.
Wolfe's life of ceaseless toil and unfulfilled aspirations represents not only his personal struggles but also serves as a mirror to the broader societal injustices and the conditions of the working poor of his time. Through Wolfe, this piece draws attention to issues of systemic poverty, degrading labor conditions, and the resulting spiritual and mental anguish. It is a call to consider the moral responsibilities of society towards those who suffer these conditions.