The Rise of Silas Lapham · Chapter
XVII explained
Mrs.
What happens
Mrs. Lapham, anxious about Penelope's secret, sends for her husband to discuss the matter. Penelope confesses to her mother that Tom Corey proposed to her instead of Irene, and the two women grapple with the painful implications for Irene, who remains oblivious and continues to hope for Tom's affection. Lapham, unaware of the true situation, grumbles about the girls missing breakfast and suspects Tom's late visit was about Irene.
Themes in this chapter
Marriage and Family Dynamics
The chapter explores the painful family conflict arising from Tom Corey's proposal to Penelope instead of Irene, testing loyalty, guilt, and parental responsibility.
Honesty and Deception
Penelope and Mrs. Lapham struggle with whether to tell Irene the truth, highlighting the tension between protecting a loved one and the necessity of honesty.
Characters to notice
- Mrs. Lapham
Anxious and conflicted, she seeks counsel from her husband and confronts Penelope about Tom Corey's proposal.
- Penelope Lapham
Reveals to her mother that Tom Corey proposed to her, struggles with guilt over Irene's hopes and her own feelings.
- Irene Lapham
Unaware of the truth, she continues to talk excitedly about the Corey dinner and her hopes regarding Tom.
- Silas Lapham
Irritated by the girls' absence from breakfast, he suspects Tom Corey's late visit was about Irene.
- Tom Corey
Visited the Lapham house the previous evening and proposed to Penelope, but his intentions remain unknown to Lapham.
Key passages
“She sent out for a messenger, whom she despatched with a note to his place of business: “Silas, I should like to ride with you this afternoon. Can’t you come home early? Persis.””
Mrs. Lapham, unable to wait until evening, sends a note to her husband asking him to come home early for a ride so she can discuss her worries.
Shows Mrs. Lapham's urgency to confide in her husband about the family crisis.
““I’ve read of cases where a girl gives up the man that loves her so as to make some other girl happy that the man doesn’t love. That might be done.””
Penelope sarcastically suggests a self-sacrificial solution from novels, where a woman renounces her beloved to make another woman happy, though she knows it's impractical.
Highlights Penelope's despair and ironic awareness of romantic clichés.
““What’s the reason the girls never get down to breakfast any more?” asked Lapham, when he met his wife at the table in the morning.”
Lapham complains to his wife about their daughters' absence from breakfast, revealing his irritation and ignorance of the emotional turmoil in the house.
Contrasts Lapham's mundane concerns with the family's hidden crisis.