The Rise of Silas Lapham
The virtue of the novel according to Howells lies in its formal amplitude, its ability to encompass all things, and connect all humanity. The aim of the realistic novel is to "widen the bounds of sympathy" and to proclaim the "equality of things and the unity of men."
Look at the above in light of the argument Tom Corey has w/ himself after Lapham's outpouring of shame and self abasement following the disastrous dinner party. Are you convinced? What is at stake? In what way is this a turning point? (p. 197)
Corey does not lower himself to Lapham's level, but rather reaffirms to himself his superiority over Lapham. He realizes the importance of maintaining his place in society in relation to Lapham, but also must "think the best of Lapham" if he plans to marry his daughter. Lapham's uncouth showing of humility reminds him of the dinner party fiasco, and likens him to the "plebeian" porter with his "gross appetites," "blunt sense," and "stupid arrogance." Despite his feelings of reproach for Lapham's behavior, it is his love for Pen which makes him see the positive side of the situation:
"he knew at the bottom of his heart that which must control him last., and which seemed sweetly to be suffering his rebellion, secure of his submission in the end. It was almost with the girl's voice that it seemed to plead with him..."
Pen, of course, is the one suffering his rebellion, and his rebellion is his urge to reject her for her father's low demeanor. Yet this passage is Corey's turning point, where he cements the idea that to love this girl, and love her he must, certain societal sacrifices must be made. The though of Pen works to "set all things in another and fairer light." It is then that Corey realizes the nobility in Lapham's seemingly base humility. He is able to see Lapham's outpouring of shame as something respectable and honorable that would never be found in a person of "society.
"When he had been the prize apprentice of Hancock's Wharf, the envy of all the other masters, the principal bread-winner of the Laphams (and he knew it), he had been quite a different boy from the arrogant, shabby young tramp of late summer and early fall." (pg. 126) As Johnny Tremain progressed through the book, Johnny Tremain, he experienced major changes in his personality, demeanor, and thoughts. These changes all led back to one major event in the young boy’s life, when Johnny burnt his hand, crippling it in the process. Johnny Tremain was a young apprentice for his master, Mr. Lapham, a silversmith. Because of the apprentices’ newly crippled hand, he had to learn to have a different outlook on life; therefore, changing him into a better person. As Johnny Tremain traveled throughout his life, he was changed from a boy to a man; he was no longer proud, callous, and temperamental - the signs of a boy - but instead he was humble, caring, and placid - true signs of a man.
In the Story “The Rise of Silas Lapham,” written by William Dean Howells, Silas’s desire to conform to the standards of society is the root of his company’s downfall but the rise of his understanding and morals. The society Silas is trying to feel accepted by is very judgmental and vain and do not care about others therefore making it very tough for the Laphams to be accepted or even feel somewhat normal where they are living. Persis is a significant character in the novel because in the end she is why Silas does the things he does because she bestowed good morals in him. The last attempts to fit in with the community is the building and destruction of the house. These are all very significant events to the story leading up to Silas last decisions.
...e insight to life or contain certain meanings that the reader must reconstruct in order to evaluate the text fully. Other novels are considered to be noteworthy because they exist within a specific literary movement, or because they reflect cultural change. However much one might argue that Erskine Caldwell’s God’s Little Acre and Chester Himes’ If He Hollers Let Him Go belong at the bottom of the literary ‘stack,’ they nevertheless employ the same concepts and exhibit the same characteristics that turn many other novels into works of ideal greatness.
3. The novel represents the world and its inhabitants on a miniscule level, by conveying the differences between the characters and how they act towards one another.
In William Dean Howells’ novel, The Rise of Silas Lapham Silas is a very greedy selfish person who does not care about anything except climbing the social ladder. He has false social aspirations and his lust for power help his business to flourish as he rips people off and steels people’s money. As Silas begins to get higher and higher on the social ladder he begins to realize that his dreams are empty and have no real value as he achieves them. His greed and selfishness then come back to haunt him causing him to feel pain over things that he had done and while trying to rectify his wrongs he goes too far and fails his business. Silas Lapham’s character shift from selfish greed to honest unselfishness caused the collapse of his business and the loss of his money.
reflects upon the theme of the novel. As it highlights the fact that if people in the society
On the whole, Knowles not only constructs Leper with common characteristics, but makes him utilize his attributes in such a way that affects the novel severely. Leper's few appearances in the novel are vital and play an extreme role in the theme. Leper is characterized as an outsider with a genuine mindset and honest nature and these attributes affect the truth in animosity by allowing the truth to become apparent to the characters themselves.
It is all too often that literary critics read literature and then sift it into good and bad pieces, critiquing its value or mediocrity. However, it needs to be pointed out that this onerous task of "analyzing literature" for literary devices need not be the basis for placing value and worth on literature. Additionally, it is a great misunderstanding in society's education system that students need to learn what makes a good book solely by its use of literary devices. It's about time students read books for recreation and be able to express in their own words why the books are great or not so great. Most importantly, the lessons each book teaches students must be learned individually. People cannot be told what the book is trying to communicate, they must learn it for themselves. This is what makes books noteworthy, and this is why Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula by Loren D. Estleman is an extraordinary book. It is a book people can enjoy for entertainment motives rather than for its devices of sound, syntax, and omniscient point of view. Through the story of good versus evil, Estleman entertains the readers of The Adventure of the Sanguinary Count (the other title) to make a great novel.
In Fitzgerald's novel, he writes about the relationships that go on and with these relationships lack of loyalty, self indulgence, violence, and disregard to morals are brought with them. The relationships of the main characters Daisy and Tom Buchanan is one of infidelity and lies. This loveless relationship consists of Tom cheating on Daisy with many women, one whose name is Myrtle, and Daisy cheating on Tom with Jay Gatsby. Tom is an aggressive man who, one day, shows his violence toward Myrtle when she taunts Tom with Daisy's name. Even though, Daisy is aware of Tom's affairs, Daisy gives him a gold pen to show off to the girls at parties. Jay Gatsby is another main character, who is determined to win the love back from Daisy. In doing so, Gatsby makes friends with his new neighbor Nick Carraway, the narrator of the novel, in order to get closer to Daisy. Nick Carraway is a cousin of Daisy's; which Gatsby is seen as a personal way to forward his pursue for Daisy. Though, Nick realizes his relationship with him is purely a way to benefit Gatsby, he remains friends with him. While Nick takes a back seat to the more complicated relationships he does get acquainted with a pompous woman, Jordan Baker, also known as "the balancing girl." She and Nick become close but later, Nick finds out that Jordan has left him to get engaged with a wealthier man. Fitzgerald gives each relationship its own flaws and wrong doings in order to depict the changing of the American life.
Harrison displays no supernatural abilities; his power comes from within himself. He and he alone is responsible for his actions, he refuses to be further controlled by the government that seeks to oppress him and lock him away. Harrison contrast the mysterious man by the reader having knowledge of where Harrison’s power comes from. Harrison uses his power to try to save himself while the mysterious man uses his to take advantage of others. Harrison is also portrayed in different light than Yeats’ swan. The swan is revered by the author while Harrison is not. Harrison is not praised or looked up to by anyone. He is just a person, a regular person who wants to but has failed in trying to change the world. The swan, a god, does not fail at his goal but Harrison, the human, does. The reader is able to empathize with Harrison more than with the other two powerful characters because Harrison could be any person reading the story. To be Harrison is to be different and to be different is to be
Guerin, Wilfred L., Earle Labor, Lee Morgan, Jeanne C. Reesman, and John R. Willingham. A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. 125-156.
...e means by which defective vision is corrected. Spencer Brydon sports a “charming monocle,” but the alter ego needs a double eyeglass, a “great convex pince-nez” (101). The European aesthetic perception of life, James implies, may be a more finely trained and acute one, but in the comparatively narrowed scope of its vision, it is as surely damaged as the American perspective which has taken in more of life. The advancement, and also the injury, to each perspective and also the irrevocable divorce between them finally emerges from Alice’s last words to Spencer Brydon: “And he isn’t—no, he isn’t—you! (101). Spencer actualizes a cognizance of visual beauty and of himself, as one complete person, via his dueling identities as both an American and a European. The alter ego may not truly be Spencer Brydon, but he has been raised by Brydon in the house on the jolly corner.
In the beginning, Kino is tricked by how the pearl buyer looks and seems like a nice person. “His face was fatherly and benign, and his eyes twinkled with friendship”.(47) Readers can tell that the pearl buyer has a good first impression on Kino. In addition it mentions how the pearl buyer was a caller of good mornings. “He was a caller of good mornings”(47). The author begins to personify the pearl buyer, and from what the author says, the pearl buyer seems like a nice person. “His eyes become wet with sorrow for your loss”(47). From this impression the author gives, the readers can tell he seems to be caring, but can also assume he’s sneaky enough to pretend to care. After Kino presents his pearl dramatically and the pearl buyer begins to judge it, he realizes he’s being tricked. When he tells Kino his pearl isn’t worth much “His shoulders rose a little to indicate that the misfortune was no fault of his”(49). Readers can tell from the personification of his actions that he’s trying to trick Kino and Juana into thinking the pearl isn’t worth much for his own benefit. During Kino’s whole visit, the pearl buyer was also playing with a coin. The coin also symbolizes the buyer’s sneakiness. “And the fingers of his right hand worked faster and faster” (48). In addition, he begins to practice his legerdemain again when he tricks Kino into thinking there’s more than one buyer. “Right hand went behind the desk
Basically, it is thought that this principle suggests that when people communicate with each other, and this discussion develops into a discussion, which
"A novel is a living thing, all one and continuous, like any other organism, and in proportion as it lives will it be found, I think, that in each of the parts there is something of the other parts." (Kettle 12)