Elegant but sterile in his art, Corey can talk about it, but he cannot effectively practice it. He retreats into a world of seclusion and theories, never becoming actively engaged in producing an object of outstanding art. The largeness of Silas’ project reflects his activity and drive, but Lapham’s conception of it could have been harmful to the artistic world. If artists are not active, art is in great danger, Howells is saying.
Lapham’s moral rise from self-concern to concern for society is not accidental, for we must not view The Rise of Silas Lapham as merely a story of one inartistic man or of Bostonian society. Its message is far-reaching with a universality that touches the entirety of American society even today.
