# The American Dream in The Rise of Silas Lapham

> Theme guide for The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells.

Lapham's rise from a poor Vermont farm boy to a wealthy paint magnate embodies the American Dream, but his fall questions its sustainability and the moral costs of ambition.

## Where it surfaces

- [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_rise_of_silas_lapham_se/chapters/i): Lapham's rise from poverty on a Vermont farm to a successful paint manufacturer exemplifies the American Dream narrative.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_rise_of_silas_lapham_se/themes/the_american_dream
- Themes index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_rise_of_silas_lapham_se/themes