Final answer:
The passages describe scenes from literature, focusing on characters dealing with hardship and finding resilience amidst struggle, likely set in a historical or industrial context.
Step-by-step explanation:
The passages provided seem to depict scenes from various works of literature, each rich in emotional depth and character development. The recurring themes include suffering, resilience, hopelessness, and the struggle for beauty in the face of grim reality. These snapshots offer glimpses into the lives of individuals in difficult or despairing circumstances, each scene portraying a character's internal or external conflict.
References to the 'puddler's life' and 'Janey' suggest these characters are from working-class backgrounds, likely within a historical or industrial setting. The imagery of nature juxtaposed with human emotion indicates a literary style that delves deeply into the human experience, possibly from a naturalist or realist perspective.
The language and situations described seem to point towards 19th or early 20th-century literature, where struggles against societal constraints and personal adversities were a common motif. Confrontation with harsh realities, whether it's in relation to work, social standing, or personal relationships, forms the crux of these emotionally charged passages.