Ethical Awareness And Literary Representation:An Interpretation Of The Rise Of Silas Lapham From The Perspective Of Ethical Literary Criticism

As one of the most influential American writers in the late nineteenth century,William Dean Howells,together with Mark Twain and Henry James,prospered American realism.Published in 1885,The rise of Silas Lapham has been regarded as Howells' s most famous work,in which the author,instead of launching a strong attack on cruel reality of capitalist society,depicts the development of American petty bourgeoisie in the late nineteenth century with a “smiling” attitude.Some critics firmly opposed Howells' s gentle realism,but in fact,the novel comprehensively embodies his ethical contemplation.This thesis aims to interpret the novel from the perspective of ethical literary criticism,trying to explore Howells' s ethical awareness and its contributing factors and reveal his contribution to the construction of humanistic spirit.This thesis is composed of five chapters.Chapter One proposes the focus of the study,reviews the related studies both at home and abroad,shows the purpose and significance of this study and discusses the theoretical framework of this thesis.Chapter Two focuses on American social context in the late nineteenth century and its influence on Silas Lapham.The first part shows changing values of America in the late nineteenth century.The second part analyzes the negative influence of money-oriented value on Silas Lapham.Chapter Three demonstrates Silas Lapham's road to redemption from two perspectives.On one hand,instead of being crazy about pursuing wealth as before,Lapham attempts to rebuild his sense of self.On the other hand,he shows passion for his surroundings by loving others and becomes again a faithful and ethical businessman.Chapter Four analyzes Howells' s ethics embodied in Silas Lapham.The first part illustrates Howells' s demonstration of gentle realism in his literary creation.The second part shows that Howells “smiling” realism exactly represents his ethical contemplation of his time.In Chapter Five,the conclusion is drawn that the depiction of Silas Lapham's alienation and redemption actually represents Howells' s ethical and moral ideas.As a gentle realist,Howells is a responsible writer whose ethical ideas are beneficial to constructing humanistic spirit both in the late nineteenth century and in the contemporary era.