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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. How does Anna Corey describe Penelope Lapham to Bromfield Corey?
2. When Silas Lapham visits his new house, what does he do there?
3. What architect is building the Laphams new house?
4. Why do Persis and Silas Lapham begin to feel glad their daughter is not engaged to Tom Corey?
5. Why does Penelope greet Tom Corey when he visits her home in Chapter Sixteen?
Short Essay Questions
1. Describe Anna Corey's visit to the Lapham home in Chapter Twelve.
2. What is Tom Corey's reaction when he learns that the Laphams have believed he prefers Irene to Penelope?
3. What different opinions are expressed by the guests at the Coreys' dinner party about the novel Tears, Idle Tears?
4. Describe how Silas Lapham confronts Milton Rogers in Chapter Twenty One and how Rogers responds to that confrontation.
5. 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?
6. What revelation does Tom Corey make to Penelope Lapham in Chapter Sixteen and what is Penelope's surprising reaction to the news?
7. Describe Irene's reaction to the news that Tom Corey prefers her plainer sister, Penelope, to her.
8. What strategies does Silas Lapham consider in Chapter Twenty Three for easing his financial woes?
9. Why do the Coreys decide to invite the Laphams to dinner if they don't really like them?
10. Describe Silas Lapham's interactions with Zerrilla Dewey and her mother, Moll Millon, in Chapter Twenty Three.
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Discuss the meaning of the book's title. It indicates that Silas Lapham will rise during the course of the book, yet he falls financially, so what kind of rise does Silas experience and what incidents in the book illustrate that rise? What theme do you think William Dean Howells is trying to convey through the protagonist's fall and rise in this book? Cite at least three examples from the text to support your arguments.
Essay Topic 2
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 3
Discuss the character of Zerrilla Dewey and how she represents working class women in the Gilded Age. What theme do you think William Dean Howells is trying to convey about working class women and their role in society through the character of Zerrilla and her troubled marriage? Cite examples from the text to support your arguments.
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This section contains 1,058 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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