The Rise of Silas Lapham

1、The Rise of Silas Lapham1304020639 魏来IntroductionThe Rise of Silas Lapham is a fine specimen（样本） of American realistic writing byWilliam Dean Howells in 1885about the materialistic rise of Silas Lapham from rags（破布)to riches,accompanied his moral development.subplotsubplotprincipleprincipleSymbolism

2、Symbolismpoltpolt23Main aspects 14“ “U”structureU”structure5PlotThe book relates the story of a new upstart in mid-nineteenth-century Boston.Silas is a self-made man.He starts his paint business from scratch(白手起家）白手起家） and becomes a millionaire. That is his material rise in the world.PlotAspiring to

3、 conquer Boston politely society, hespends a lot of money on building a gorgeous house in a “respectable” area of the town.And one of his daughters falls in love with ayoung man of upper class family, the Corey.But as competition becomes fierce, Silas is trapped into danger.At this time, some Englis

4、h syndicate(财团) comes along to offer a handsome sum of money for some of his property. However he knows the interference（干扰，冲突）of railroad company will force many owners out at a ruinous（毁灭性的） price.Silas is in a dilemma（困境）（困境）. Cheating,he would survive; being honest would be his undoing.He decide

5、s to be honest.As he does not sell and fails the money he badly needs to save his business,then his company goes bankrupt.He falls and suffers, but manages to keep more people from suffering.Falling, but he achieves his moral and ethical （道德的（道德的）rise.subplotsubplotlove storyThe love triangle of Pen

6、elope，Irene and Tomhighlights Howells views of sentimental novels as unrealistic and deceitful.functionthe Laphams the Coreyss Silas Lapham(household)Persis LaphamPenelope LaphamIrene LaphamBromfield Corey(household)Tom Corey Younger DaughterAnna Coreyeconomy of painPrincipleThis is the economy of p

7、ain formula to ensure the greatest happiness for the greatest number. Lapham decides not to sell his property he fails to save his companyhe helps avoid the possible suffering Penelope and Irene fall in love with the same manPenelope attempts to give upIrene will be happyPenelope fits to marry the m

8、an for himself for most peopleself-sacrificeminimize the pain Symbolism Rather than creating figurative language in the text to suggest meaning The symbolism in The Rise of Silas Lapham is used as a way of defining the thematic function of objects in the fictive world in relation to the general mean

9、ing of the story”.small farm in VermontNankeen Square houseBeacon Street housesmall farm in Vermontfail to sink themselves into civility（礼貌道德）（礼貌道德）beginning:poorimmerger（融入）（融入） into urban society end:bankruptThe three houses owned by the Laphams create a social roadmap of the familys status at dif

10、ferent points in the novel: selfish individualismThe Beacon Street househis aspiration for the polite society （上流社会）To Mrs. LamphamTo Laphamthere is blood on its timbers（木材）his success different attitudesThe Reality of the Novel Reflects Protagonists: the commonplace Bostonian Time: late nineteenth

11、centurynothing heroic,dramatic or extraordinary. the small,the trivial,and the commonplace U Structuremoral development social positionholy manis allured by the moneyregains his purity inverted “U” “U” structuresimple rural areas in a big housereturns to thesimple ruralFINALLY in this novel Though he criticized the materialism, but he was mainly optimistic. He believed in the strength of personal moral elevation. So