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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. Who do Mrs. Lapham and Penelope note that Tom Corey never mentions to either of them during his visits?
2. When Irene Lapham receives a newspaper clipping from Texas, who does she think has sent it to her?
3. When Tom Corey comes to the Lapham home for a second visit in Chapter Eleven, about whom does he ask Irene?
4. After giving Tom Corey a history of the paint, where does Silas Lapham suggest the young man come to finish their business talk?
5. What does Tom Corey tell his father in Chapter Eleven that Mrs. Lapham has never done, a fact the Coreys find unusual given the Lapham wealth?
Short Essay Questions
1. Describe Lapham's financial situation in Chapter Nine.
2. What aspect of Tom Corey's life does Silas Lapham disapprove of, and what action does Lapham think it would take to improve Corey?
3. What business proposals does Tom Corey suggest to Silas Lapham?
4. Why are the Laphams considered deficient in social graces?
5. What arguments does Anna Corey give her husband for opposing their son's marriage to Silas Lapham's daughter?
6. In what different ways do Silas Lapham and Persis Lapham react to Bromfield Corey's visit to Silas Lapham's office?
7. What information is revealed about Zerrilla Dewey in Chapter Eight and what does Walker the bookkeeper seem to imply about her relationship with Silas Lapham?
8. How does Tom Corey describe the Lapham family to his mother?
9. What is Lapham's childhood and family background, and how does this background shape his values?
10. How does Penelope react to Tom Corey's visits in Chapter Eleven, and what does her behavior indicate?
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Compare and contrast the relationships of Silas and Persis Lapham, Anna and Bromfield Corey, and Tom and Penelope. Do either of the secondary characters' romances mirror that of Silas and Persis? Cite examples from the text to support your conclusions.
Essay Topic 2
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 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 1,047 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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