Comparing Silas Lapham And The Wings Of The Dove

To decide which novel is the “The Great American Novel” is nearly impossible because there are so many contenders. However, clear expectations are in place to ensure that the novel chosen portrays the picture of emotions and manners of American existence. Mostly, authors choose to write about the American dream because America is known as the land of economic opportunity and growth. Unfortunately, putting that into a novel can sometimes be misrepresented or not received well. From our reading, the two novels that can be called The Great American Novel are The Rise of Silas Lapham and The Wings of the Dove. Both novels describe the world in which economic prosperity is everything, but doing so in a way that is believed to fulfill the American …show more content…

The novel explains the power of the “American moral conscience when his hero feels a duty to the wife and daughter of Jim Milllon, who died in the war protecting Silas. This subplot makes Howells aware that Civil War idealism and self-sacrifice had left a residue of guilt in the psyche of Americans in these years” (Howells xxi). It is this idea that powers Silas throughout the novel because even though he has become the “beneficiary of the postwar prosperity” he is unwilling to erase his obligation to the war dead (Howells xxi). This makes The Rise of Silas Lapham a contender for The Great American Novel because Silas is willing to sacrifice his reputation in order to help this family. He is able to represent the patriotic identity that the common American citizen is going through at this time. Nonetheless, the culture of this common citizen believes in hard work and the rewards it can bring. Silas Lapham is that common character because he is a self-made man and holds his moral standards above any monetary means. Overall, The Rise of Silas Lapham is a clear contender for The Great American Novel because of its realistic representation of American emotions, hard work, and