For Love or Money: Courtship and Class Conflict in Howells' The Rise of Silas Lapham

Abstract

By arranging a marriage between Tom and Penelope in Rise of Silas Lapham, William Dean Howells clearly meant to compensate title character for moral sacrifice that defeats his business and social ambitions, with hopes, possibly, of resolving otherwise irreconcilable class conflicts with romantic love. Laying out plans for love story, he put down a note: The young trees growing out of fallen logs in forest -- new life out of old. Apply to Lapham's fall.(1) However, earlier critics, such as Oscar Firkins and Harry Hartwick, regard love plot as irrelevant to main story. In defense, Donald Pizer and Everett Carter connect Silas' business practices and love triangle by virtue of their similar moral lessons, while G. Thomas Tanselle demonstrates how Silas' rise and fall parallel and interweave structurally with younger generation's romance; but only Elizabeth Stevens Prioleau tries to tie whole book together thematically through a reading of what she calls the sexual subplot of novel.(2) In fact, Howells' note suggests reading marriage plot as a comment on major theme -- Vermont businessman's abortive attempts at urban assimilation. Irene's infatuation with Tom Corey mirrors her father's flirtation with Boston's polite society, whereas Penelope's conditional integration puts his social disappointment into a broader cultural perspective. comparisons highlight romantic elements in material and vainglorious pursuits, on one hand, while bringing out economic and social undertones of courtship and marriage, on other. tensions of two plots, furthermore, both come from cultural conflicts, which take form of opposing values, pride, prejudices, and tastes, originating not only in economic class structure but in differences between urban and rural lifestyles. In fashion of comedy of manners, Howells makes fun of Laphams' provinciality and undermines Coreys' formalism. However, with a touch of irony typical of novelist, Silas' moral rise and Corey's practical snobbery also challenge sanctity of propriety, while further problematizing definitions and bounds of social class. It is novelist's confidence in a universal moral ideal, regardless of region or class, that finally enables marriage to take place, although alliance endorses not so much a moral legacy as a cultural continuation. For all his sympathies, Howells concludes that lifestyle is essential to civilization, so that social class, as defender of its lifestyle, needs to evaluate foreign elements. As a result of this justified discrimination, ethically praiseworthy father must rely on culturally versatile Penelope to fulfil his social aspirations. Virtue becomes its own and only reward for Silas Lapham, therefore, even if romantic love succeeds to give Bostonians a moral lesson in class relations. Like love at first sight, Silas takes an instant liking for Tom and his father, despite his earlier misgivings about their social position. Ironically, his initial prejudice against old money makes him more susceptible to its charms than his unbiased wife. very idea of a leisure class irritates self-made man, who disapproves, as a matter of principle, what he regards as parasitic idleness, and loathes, with private dignity, possibility that it might not respect his livelihood. Tom's pursuit of independence and his interest in Lapham's mineral paint therefore endears young man to Silas. discovery that Bromfield Corey [does]n't seem to be dressed very much, and act[s] just like anybody,(3) in addition to his polite inquiries about Lapham's business, also softens Silas' attitude toward old gentleman. Silas falls in love, however, not so much with persons of Coreys as with their social status. He takes Tom into business because of who he is as much as, if not more than, what he is. …