Rise of Silas Lapham Life,

¶ … Rise of Silas Lapham

Life, it can be said, becomes really meaningful when it is seen as a journey of moral development. for, no human being is born with a fully formed moral understanding. On the contrary, comprehension of the meaning of morality dawns only after many mistakes in judgment, personal pain, and a great deal of experience. Viewed from this perspective, therefore, "true heroes" can be defined as those people who develop the moral understanding and courage to realize their mistakes and correct them. Thus, although Silas Lapham is a flawed human being, he is a true hero because ultimately he is able to face up to his mistakes and realize that morality lies in decisions that are guided by the interests of humanity rather than the individual.

A person with clearly admirable traits and courage typically characterizes the classical or conventional portrayal of a "true hero." In stark contrast, Howells' Silas Lapham is far from admirable. In fact, right from the start of the novel, it is apparent that Silas Lapham is a man who has something to hide - something that he is ashamed of. Indeed, this is apparent in the narrator's description of how Lapham "dropped the bold blue eyes with which he had been till now staring into Bartley's face," (p. 16) when he alludes to a partner he once had in his paint business. As it turns out, Lapham does have something on his conscience and, that is, the fact that he had done a grave injustice to his partner, Rogers, in forcing him out of the business.

Although Lapham tries to justify his actions by rationalizing that "it was a business chance," it is evident that Lapham's decision is guided purely by his own selfish ambition. As Mrs. Lapham rightly observes, "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...." (p. 47) Silas Lapham's greed, ambition, and social aspirations is also made evident in the manner in which he goes about building his business and acquiring all the symbols of wealth such as "a house on the water side of Beacon street...leading architectural firms, which, when complete, will be one of the finest ornaments of that exclusive avenue." (p. 21)

Lapham may well have lived his life out in pursuit of his selfish desires. However, life soon intervenes with circumstances and experiences that open Silas Lapham's eyes to the truth and the very meaning of life. One such experience has to do with Silas and his wife dealing with the triangular relationship between Tom Corey and their two daughters, Irene and Penelope. Faced with the awkward realization that Tom and Penelope love each other, and not Tom and Irene as they had hoped, the Laphams are initially at a loss as to how they should deal with the problem. This is when Silas realizes the larger principle of happiness and welfare. A realization that is confirmed by Sewell, the minister. As a result, Lapham endorses Tom and Penelope's union so that two people could be happy instead of a marriage that would ultimately cause unhappiness for all the parties involved.

Silas Lapham is also forced to face up to the truth about himself when his business begins to flounder. for, this is when he realizes that no man can be an island, and that humans have to necessarily depend on each other for their existence as well as progress. Thus, when he is faced with a situation where his ex-business partner, Rogers, and some English agents are willing to purchase his mill property at a price far higher than its true worth, he refuses to do so on pure principle. This, in spite of the fact that the situation gives him an opportunity to regain some of his lost wealth, and redeem himself in Rogers' eyes. In fact, he even reflects on the transformation within his self: "It was certainly ridiculous for a man who had once so selfishly consulted his own interests to be stickling now about the rights of others." (p. 330)