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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. With what does Persis Lapham worry Irene will wear herself out?
2. What does Persis Lapham fret about after receiving Anna Corey's dinner invitation?
3. Why does Penelope greet Tom Corey when he visits her home in Chapter Sixteen?
4. What physical ailment does Tom Corey have in Chapter Twenty One?
5. Where is Irene Lapham when Anna Corey visits the Laphams in Chapter Twelve?
Short Essay Questions
1. What opinion does Persis Lapham cling to about Milton Rogers despite being presented with evidence to the contrary, and what does this indicate about her character?
2. Describe the Civil War experiences Silas Lapham relates to the other guests at the Coreys' dinner party.
3. What is the reaction of Bromfield and Anna Corey to the news that their son loves Penelope rather than Irene Lapham?
4. What different opinions are expressed by the guests at the Coreys' dinner party about the novel Tears, Idle Tears?
5. Describe Silas Lapham's financial status at the end of Chapter Twenty One and how it compares to his financial status at the beginning of the novel?
6. What destroys Silas Lapham's new house and how does that situation add to Lapham's financial woes?
7. Describe the business deal Silas Lapham and Milton Rogers make regarding the mills.
8. Describe Silas Lapham's interactions with Zerrilla Dewey and her mother, Moll Millon, in Chapter Twenty Three.
9. What opinion does Anna Corey form of Penelope Lapham during her visit with Persis and Penelope?
10. What opinion does Penelope Lapham give Tom Corey about the novel Tears, Idle Tears?
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
Compare and contrast the Lapham and Corey families. What values does each family have? What leisure activities does each family prefer? What does each family think about the other? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.
Essay Topic 3
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.
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This section contains 1,120 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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