The Rise of Silas Lapham

Tom is still thinking about his visit to the Lapham house. Smitten by one of the sisters, he invites his father to join him on another visit to the Laphams. Bromfield agrees to go with Tom to Silas’s office the following morning. He asks Tom whether the Lapham family, who are soon set to move into their new home, will be a worthwhile addition to Boston high society. Tom insists that they are people with good sense and the “right ideas” (138). Bromfield is not impressed by this answer. He believes that the social elite demands more than just good sense. When Bromfield references the indefinable qualities that people of their social class should possess, Tom reluctantly admits that he understands what his father means and confirms that the Laphams lack this indefinable quality, which can be felt more than described.

Bromfield visits Silas’s office. There, Silas attempts to balance his pride with his desire to befriend Bromfield. He treats Bromfield like he is the father of a boy who Silas has taken in off the streets and given a job, though he praises Tom as a naturally gifted businessman with good sense. That evening, Silas talks to his wife.