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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. In what series of articles is the newspaper going to feature an article on Silas Lapham?
2. What does Persis Lapham do for a living before she marries Silas?
3. What newspaper has sent reporter Bartley Hubard to interview Silas Lapham in Chapter One?
4. Who do Mrs. Lapham and Penelope note that Tom Corey never mentions to either of them during his visits?
5. Which of the following statements accurately describes the financial situation of the Lapham family and the Corey family?
Short Essay Questions
1. What do Tom Corey and his father find unusual about the beverages the Laphams drink and Mrs. Lapham's social entertaining?
2. In what different ways do Silas Lapham and Persis Lapham react to Bromfield Corey's visit to Silas Lapham's office?
3. Describe the Laphams' first meeting with the Corey family.
4. What is Lapham's childhood and family background, and how does this background shape his values?
5. How does Penelope react to Tom Corey's visits in Chapter Eleven, and what does her behavior indicate?
6. Why does Bartley Hubbard interview Silas Lapham, and what differing views of success do Hubbard and Lapham have?
7. Which Lapham sister does Tom Corey talk about when he visits the Laphams and which one does he not talk about, and what do his conversational tendencies indicate?
8. Describe Lapham's financial situation in Chapter Nine.
9. What aspect of Tom Corey's life does Silas Lapham disapprove of, and what action does Lapham think it would take to improve Corey?
10. What kind of girl does Bromfield Corey think his son Tom should marry, and how do the Lapham girls compare to Bromfield's ideal daughter-in-law?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Discuss the concept of social class in The Rise of Silas Lapham. Give examples of how at least three of the following characters exhibit typical or atypical behavior for their social class in the era in which the novel is set: Silas Lapham, Persis Lapham, Anna Corey, Nanny Corey, Tom Corey, Penelope Lapham, Zerrilla Dewey, Moll Millon, and Milton Rogers. What do you think William Dean Howells is trying to say about social class in the Gilded Age through these characters? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.
Essay Topic 2
Discuss the attitude of the characters in The Rise of Silas Lapham toward reading novels and books. Include in your discussion: 1) the books Silas Lapham read as a child, 2) Persis Lapham's childhood teaching about books, and 3) Mr. Sewell's opinion of novels. What do you think books symbolize in the story? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.
Essay Topic 3
Silas Lapham is the protagonist of the story, and Rogers is the antagonist of the story. Compare and contrast the characters of Lapham and Rogers. In what ways is Rogers a foil character for Lapham? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.
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This section contains 1,203 words (approx. 5 pages at 300 words per page) |
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