The House

The new house that the Laphams are building on the water side of Beacon Street is a interesting feature in the book not only because of what happens to it but also because of what it represents. The Laphams decide to build on their lot on Beacon Street after the Corey ladies make their first visit to the Lapham home on Nankeen Square. The Coreys tell the Laphams they had trouble finding their home because they never visited this unfashionable part of Boston. Therefore, in its beginning, the new house represents the Laphams' desire to move up in society.

As the new house is taking shape, it becomes a symbol of Penelope and Irene's future. The girls' parents hide their ambitions for themselves behind their ambitions for their daughters. Although it is they who wish to move up in society, they claim to themselves and to others...