# Chapter XXVII explained — The Rise of Silas Lapham > Chapter companion for The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells. ## What happens Following Penelope and Tom's marriage, the Laphams return to their Vermont farm after Lapham's bankruptcy. The chapter explores the aftermath of the marriage, the Coreys' mixed feelings about Penelope, Irene's hardened character after her disappointment, and Lapham's moral reflections on his past business dealings with Rogers. Lapham sells his mines to the Kanawha Falls Company, relieving his debt, and hosts Reverend Sewell, discussing his mistakes and his pride in having come out with clean hands. ## Themes in this chapter ### Social Class and Mobility The Coreys' mixed feelings about Penelope and the Laphams' return to the farm highlight the persistent class distinctions and the difficulty of social integration. ### Morality and Business Ethics Lapham's pride in having come out with clean hands and his reflections on his dealings with Rogers underscore the moral dimensions of his business failure. ### Marriage and Family Dynamics The chapter explores the aftermath of Penelope and Tom's marriage, Irene's emotional hardening, and the shifting family relationships. ## Character check-ins ### Silas Lapham Reflects on his past mistakes, brags about the extension of his business under his son-in-law, and hosts Reverend Sewell at his farm, showing pride in his clean-handedness despite his failure. ### Mrs. Lapham Alternates between pride in Lapham's integrity and resentment over his financial missteps, particularly regarding speculation and insurance. ### Penelope Lapham Marries Tom Corey and spends a week with the Coreys in Boston, feeling the strain of social differences but finding humor in the situation. ### Irene Lapham Returns from her visit hardened and toughened, showing businesslike acumen and ignoring the past with her sister and Corey. ### Tom Corey Marries Penelope and moves to Mexico for three years to expand the paint business, leaving his family with a sense of loss. ### Bromfield Corey Visits Penelope after the marriage, finds her humorous and sympathetic, and jokes about the Lapham drawing-room with his wife. ## Key lines > There is no proof that she meant more, but it is certain that our manners and customs go for more in life than our qualities. The price that we pay for civilisation is the fine yet impassable differentiation of these. The narrator suggests that social conventions and etiquette often outweigh personal character in determining one's place in society, and that civilization's cost is the rigid separation these conventions create. _Reflects the theme of social class and the barriers between the Laphams and Coreys._ > He said all this, and much more, to Mr. Sewell the summer after he sold out, when the minister and his wife stopped at Lapham on their way across from the White Mountains to Lake Champlain; Lapham had found them on the cars, and pressed them to stop off. Lapham enthusiastically recounts his story to Reverend Sewell during an impromptu visit, emphasizing his pride in his ethical conduct despite his financial ruin. _Highlights Lapham's need for moral validation and his ongoing reflection on his past._ > She required from her mother a strict and accurate account of her father’s affairs, so far as Mrs. Lapham knew them; and she showed a businesslike quickness in comprehending them that Penelope had never pretended to. Irene, now hardened, demands a detailed financial report from her mother, demonstrating a sharp business acumen that her sister Penelope lacks. _Illustrates Irene's transformation and her pragmatic approach to the family's situation._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_rise_of_silas_lapham_se/chapters/xxvii - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_rise_of_silas_lapham_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_rise_of_silas_lapham_se/chapters