The Rise of Silas Lapham 2

When we think of The Rise of Silas Lapham, we think of Silas’s rise into money and society. However, it is also his rise into self-respect and self-identity. Yes, he does become very wealthy, but the book is about more than his fortune. Throughout the book we are reminded that the Laphams are just normal people. They deal with the same issues many families deal with. Silas works hard to make a life for himself and his family. Because of his greed he loses almost all of their money, and the family has to move back to Vermont. Although, they suffer financially they come out of the situation “morally renewed”. Through his experience Silas learns to be honest and decent. I look at it as a lesson to all of us trying to make something of ourselves. While it is great to have a nice, comfortable life, there are more important things in life. Family, for example, is one of the most important things in life. I think the moral of the story is to not get so caught up in the material aspects of life, and remember that there are things that come before money.