change in heart

In the novel, The Rise of Silas Lapham, by William Dean Howells, the character of Silas Lapham is a very wealthy man. He gains his wealth by finding a new paint source in his own yard. He then becomes very wealthy from his new discovery and obtains more money than he can deal with. Along with the money Silas gains a sense of self pride, which comes with being rich. Due to his pride, Silas becomes selfish and conceited, as if he rules the world. He spends his money ruthlessly on things just because he likes them, or because he thinks it would impress others. There comes a time when Silas is no longer on top of the world, and his life starts to go downhill and he gets caught in the web of misfortune. As his motives change from selfish to caring Silas is able to find hope when all seems lost.

Silas is never satisfied. Though he has everything that he could possibly need or want, he still wants more. His greed is shown when his wife, Mrs. Lapham, reminds him, ‘“No you had better face the truth, Silas. It was no chance at all. You crowded him out. A man that had saved you! No, you had got greedy, Silas. You had made your paint your god, and you couldn’t bear to let anybody else share in its blessings”’ (47). Silas is not content with his power in his business, so he forces his partner, Mr. Rogers, to buy out and leave the business. This allows Silas to have the entire profit from the paint, as well as all of the credit for the successful business. Silas puts his desires before the needs of Mr. Rogers. He does not think about Mr. Rogers not having a job, or any way to provide for his family. Instead he just thinks about how he will benefit from Rogers’s loss. Also Lapham expresses his selfishness to Tom Corey when he joins Lapham’s bus...

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...cts him, but how it affects the people who buy it as well. Though selling the land would make him wealthy, he puts his care for others before his own desire. Silas starts to become satisfied with want he has, and does not feel a constant need for more.

When Silas’s motives behind his actions begin to change from greedy to giving, is when he is able to discover true happiness. As Silas’s desire for his material wealth becomes stronger than his desire for happiness, Silas loses sight of himself. He becomes selfish and stuck up, which is so far from his true self. It takes the loss of the material things that were blinding him for him to see what the real source of his happiness is, which is his family. Once he is able to once again discover that happiness, Silas is able to rediscover himself. He is able to lose his ego and regain the kindness which he had once lost.