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... play an important role in having the reader realize the lessons to be learned. Howells has been a full-time author for around fifty years, with works including thirty-five full-length novels, such as The Rise of Silas Lapham. What is remarkable about Howells' pieces is that it seems to gain longevity, because of his enduring themes, that are not too generic and yet are not too specific.
London's Saturday Review even remarked, "Anyone who wishes to gain an insight into the conditions of life in America, and to peer into its social complexities, cannot do better than to give his days and nights to the study of Mr. Howells's stories in general and of The Rise of Silas Lapham in particular. " It is apparent in Lapham's character that he was not really one of the social elites. His manner of speaking and choice of words differentiates him from the others, and just goes to show where he came from and how far up the ladder he still has to go. Though he surrounds himself with dignified and, just like himself, self-made entrepreneurs, his efforts still don't seem enough. He seems to fail at every other venture, business-related or otherwise. And when another paint company gets into the picture, he and his family were actually pushed to the edge financially.
When one actually thinks about it, on Silas Lapham's way to the top, he actually took shortcuts and compromised his values, just for him to become successful and for his family to lead a comfortable life. Eventually, he learns his mistakes, and refuses to deceive his clients no more. And so despite the loss financially, he has gained more than what he lost. This novel was written at the height of the Victorian era, when the rights of women were similar to that of children. During those times, women had very limited legal rights. They were not allowed to vote or own property.
Women then were also very conservative, as their bodies were regarded as temples. So they were not allowed to wear make-up or adorn themselves with clothes and accessories that will attract too much attention. In essence, their role as women was to stay at home and take care of the children, and the husband when he gets back from work. There is one particular scene in which Silas tries to protect his wife from the conflicts and the problems, especially since they are business related.
He tries to withhold such information from Persis. Not because he does not trust her or refuses to hear her thoughts on the matter, but he merely doesn't want his wife, nor Penelope or Irene, to worry. He firmly believes that as the father and husband, it is his sole responsibility to provide for his family, no matter what. This kind of stereotype was still present in the novel.
However, if one will notice, Howells shows how some traditional roles in society and the family can be and should be broken, again because of the changing times. People must learn how to adapt. But that does not mean changing one's self in order to fit in, especially with and for the wrong reasons. People often make the mistake of always thinking about what other people will think or say about them.
But one must always keep in mind that everyone cannot and should not be pleased. As long as one knows deep in his or her heart and mind that nothing about what he or she is doing is wrong, in every sense of the word, then by no means should he or she stop himself. No matter what the so-called rules of society and their social class dictate. The Rise of Silas Lapham is, in fact, one of the most read literary pieces of Howells. This could most probably be attributed to the fact that the characters, the settings, the theme, the conflicts, and the events that he used in this particular novel could not be more real.
Howells tries to show through this novel that even if the rules dictate that women should confine themselves to the responsibilities and duties that society has stated, the fact remains that women are untapped potentials and will only be wasted resources if they are not let out of their shells. More than just the role of women in society and in the family, Howells actually demonstrates the role of each member in the family. Though Silas and Persis show a more modern role as husband and wife and father and mother, it is still apparent, in one of the aforementioned scenes, that Silas still believes that he should be the sole provider of the family, and that the rest should not be burdened, especially with regard to financial matters. The parents also wanted their daughters to be married to a suitable man, not only to ensure a better and more comfortable future for them, but also to be able to elevate the entire family's status. On the other hand, Anna was the typical aristocratic individual, not wanting her son to be married to someone of a lower class, and especially not wanting him to work below his stature. But there are some characters that deviate from the norm.
The Lapham family, in reality, is different from the rest, especially since they let democracy rule. Decisions that are made are discussed, most especially between Silas and Persis. The daughters also have a say in their lives, and are not mere robots that blindly follow the commands of their parents. Tom, though having come from a well-off family, refuses to confine himself to tradition and the norm, and will willingly explore other options, such as working with and for Silas Lapham's paint company and marrying who he really feels attracted to and love for.
Howells, who was a self-taught author, started writing for newspapers. His initial literary works were poems, in fact. Because of his experience, he became responsible and a major influence in the realistic school of writing. He was mostly educated by his travels and the books that he has read. And even besides this particular novel, Howells other works focused on the different working conditions and the social class system. It is evident that literature can be used, as long as you have the tools and the guts, as a social catalyst and motivating force, and not only as a literary form of recreation.
In Howells' case, he used this particular novel to portray society as he saw it and how he wanted it to become. Issues such as morality, social norms, and etiquette came into play. Reading The Rise of Silas Lapham shows that Howells wishes to convey the relationship between his literature and reality, together with the socioeconomic issues. When writing fiction, it is important to include realism in it, as something cannot be entirely fictitious, or it will be bordering on fantasy.
The readers must be able to relate to the theme, to the setting, to the character, to the conflict. Something in one's work must be able to strike a chord in his or her readers not only for them to fully understand the work itself, but also for them to really immerse themselves in the story, for them to become more engaged. It has been said before that art should imitate life, and not the other way around. Which is true, because the basis of all kinds of media, whether its a novel, a short story, a poem, an oil painting, a black and white photograph, a print advertisement, or a television commercial, is real life. Going back to the novel, though Silas Lapham has failed in his "dream" of being accepted and fully becoming part of the high-class society, even if he has lost his material wealth, he was able to redeem himself and rise morally. Because no matter how hard he tried to fit in, he just seemed to bury himself deeper and deeper, compromising his moral and ethical values.
Much like quick sand: the more you try to move and wiggle out of it, the more you get sucked in. Silas learned from his mistakes and knew what he had to do. It has been said that the novel has somewhat a similarity to the formula Greek tragedies. Think of the story of Achilles. Much like him, Silas is a man who has made a name for himself, and yet has certain faults that will in fact spell "death" for him, and that the only way for him to really succeed is to get rid of the flaws before it's too late. Though the novel has been written centuries ago, readers of today's generation will still be able to relate to certain characters in the story, as some things haven't really changed.
There are still people who will do everything in their power to reach the top, no matter what. There are those who will pull other people down when they see that others are being more successful than they are. There are women who are still in their shells and refuse to be more independent and empowered. There are men who still believe that women should be totally subordinate to them. There are those who look down on other people, especially those who aren't in their own social class, who have a different upbringing. There are relationships between members of the family and between members of society that haven't really changed.
What this novel offers is a timeless message on society and family and on what the more important things in life are. When one reads this with an open mind, he or she will come to realize that things haven't really changed that much since then. WORKS CITED "Reading Questions for The Rise of Silas Lapham. " Donna M. Campbell, Washington State University. 5 Apr. 2006 < web >. "Rise of Silas Lapham, The. " Amazon. com: Online Shopping for Electronics, Apparel, Computers, Books, DVDs & more. 5 Apr. 2006 < web >. "Rise of Silas Lapham, The. " Britannica Student Encyclopedia. Encyclop?
dia Britannica Premium Service. 5 Apr. 2006 < web >. "Rise of Silas Lapham, The. " Brothers Judd. com. 5 Apr. 2006. < web reviews. detail / books / 230 >. "Rise of Silas Lapham, The. " Cambridge University Press. 5 Apr. 2006. < web >. "Rise of Silas Lapham, The. " A Historical View of the American Family Through American Literature 1865 - 1918. 5 Apr. 2006. < web >. "Rise of Silas Lapham, The. " Kingwood College Library Assignment Guide. 5 Apr. 2006. < web >. "Rise of Silas Lapham, The. " The Literary Encyclopedia. 5 Apr. 2006. < web >. "Rise of Silas Lapham, The. " Project Gutenberg. 5 Apr. 2006 < web >. "Rise of Silas Lapham, The. " Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 5 Apr. 2006. < web >.
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