Motivation for Immorality in The Rise of Silas Lapham and The Octopus In Both The Rise of Silas Lapham by William Dean Howells and The Octopus by Frank Norris, a character is faced with the moral issues related to running his business. Howells' character Silas Lapham (The Colonel) and Norris' Magnus Derrick are both eager to have a position of prominence in their respective societies, but find themselves in the precarious situation of having to use unethical methods to achieve this coveted stature in the course of more difficult. times. Every man aspires to be powerful, prestigious, famous and/or rich. Combined with their lack of humility about their high position in society and their overly ambitious definition of success, both cause great anguish on the path to and during the struggle to reach this selfish plateau. The image created through their business venture became the primary tool for evaluating one's personal vision of success, and in doing so, the morals and values ​​of the two men were tainted, family relationships were hurt and even devastated, as well as creating social disasters which caused incredible harm to many others. Silas's background consisted of poverty, hardship and hard work. He acquired his own wealth and this opened doors unknown to him or his family. The Colonel's background and attributes have landed him in an embarrassing situation where he always tries to appear in society as something he is not. He is a common, vulgar man, doing his best to appear sophisticated, educated, and knowledgeable, when, in reality, it is only his wealth that connects him to the upper class. His incredible wealth places within him the motivation and false sense of obligation to conform to tastes and pre......middle of paper......or power or fame. The path to achieving these goals is often filled with corruption, ruthless actions, and unsympathetic forces. One should try to see beyond material possessions and crush one's ego and self-centeredness. It should be admired to accept one's lot in life and attempt not to control forces outside one's own power or nature. Caring for your family as your primary responsibility and acting accordingly should be hailed as an achievement. Facing an evil force that breaks into your reality, and being able to maintain your morals and values ​​despite it, is an accomplishment. Works Cited Howells, William Dean. The Rise of Silas Lapham. New York: Signet Classic, 1983..Marx, Karl. "The alienation of work". Economic and Philosophical Manuscripts of 1844. Richard Hooker, 1996: 1-9. Norris, Frank. The Octopus. New York: Penguin Books, 1986.