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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. Which of the following statements does not describe Irene Lapham's appearance?
2. What novel does Tom Corey notice on a table in the Lapham parlor and begin discussing?
3. In Chapter Four, with whom does Silas Lapham sit in the frame of a bay window at the construction site of the family's new Beacon Street house?
4. Why does Bromfield not think Tom will stick with the paint business long?
5. What kind of business does Silas Lapham buy before his paint business takes off?
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. What different opinions do Silas and Persis Lapham have in Chapter Seven for why Tom Corey visits them?
3. How has Persis Lapham supported her husband and his business over the years and how does Lapham honor her for her support?
4. What indication is there in Chapter Ten that Tom Corey might prefer Penelope Lapham over her sister Irene?
5. In what different ways do Silas Lapham and Persis Lapham react to Bromfield Corey's visit to Silas Lapham's office?
6. How does Silas Lapham feel about having Tom Corey work for him, and how does he feel about Tom's work?
7. Describe the Laphams' first meeting with the Corey family.
8. Describe Lapham's financial situation in Chapter Nine.
9. How does Penelope react to Tom Corey's visits in Chapter Eleven, and what does her behavior indicate?
10. What is Silas Lapham's relationship with Milton Rogers and what disagreement do Silas and Persis have over Lapham's dealings with Rogers?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Paint is a recurring symbol throughout The Rise of Silas Lapham. What do you think Silas Lapham's paint represents? How does Bromfield Corey's paint differ from Silas Lapham's paint? What do you think Corey's paint represents? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.
Essay Topic 2
The Rise of Silas Lapham takes place in Boston in the 1880s, during America's Gilded Age, and is the story of a self-made family's attempt to enter Boston's Brahmin society. The characters live through the Civil War and see the rise of enormous industry and enormous wealth in the post-war era. Discuss how the cultural, geographical, and chronological settings affect the story and how the characters and story might differ if William Dean Howells had set the novel in England during the 1680s or in Los Angeles during the 1980s instead. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.
Essay Topic 3
Tears, Idle Tears is a novel that a number of characters, including Tom Corey and Penelope Lapham, read in the Rise of Silas Lapham. Discuss how the plot and characters of Tears, Idle Tears mirrors or parallels the course of Tom and Penelope's own romance. Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.
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This section contains 1,177 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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