# Mr. Sewell — The Rise of Silas Lapham character guide

> Mr. Sewell in The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Sewell, Mr. and Mrs. Sewell

**First appearance:** 0000-i

## Snapshot

A Unitarian minister with a level head and a plain way of talking, the one outsider the Laphams trust to tell them the truth.

## Who they are

Sewell moves among the same Boston circles as the Coreys, but he carries none of their social anxiety, which is precisely why the Laphams seek him out when their family crisis outruns their own counsel. He offers moral clarity without condescension, and his advice tends to be unwelcome because it is honest. As the Laphams' troubles deepen, his steady presence becomes the story's quiet measure of what integrity actually costs.

## In the story

### [XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_rise_of_silas_lapham_se/chapters/xiv)

Criticizes novels for portraying love in a disproportionate and immoral way; argues for a more realistic view of love and marriage.

### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_rise_of_silas_lapham_se/chapters/xviii)

The minister consulted by the Laphams; he provides a rational and moral argument for Penelope and Tom to marry, rejecting false sentimentality.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_rise_of_silas_lapham_se/characters/sewell
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_rise_of_silas_lapham_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_rise_of_silas_lapham_se/characters