Ragtime: The Title
Ragtime is made up of multiple different plot lines that all come together to tell the story of the early 20th century. From stories with fictional characters such as Coalhouse, Tateh, and Sarah to those with famous historical characters such as Harry Houdini, Emma Goldman, and Evelyn Nesbit, the plots weave together to create an intricate narrative of the societal structures and significant cultural events from the time period. So why is this novel titled Ragtime? What does ragtime have to do with the events in this story?
To start, what does ‘ragtime’ mean? Ragtime was a popular style of music characterized by syncopated beats that blend together to create a layered tune. It is also worth noting that the time period from 1895-1919 is commonly referred to as the Ragtime Era, which is when this novel takes place. Despite the vastly different plot lines in this book, the idea of ‘ragtime’ comes up in multiple different settings. So far, we have had three mentions of ragtime throughout the novel, and I am pretty sure it will pop up at least once more before the end of the novel.
Ragtime was first introduced to us in the novel briefly when we learned of Evelyn’s whereabouts after she leaves Mother’s Younger Brother. It is said on page 114, “one day she had gone off with a professional ragtime dancer” and that “they were going to put together an act.” The second occurrence of ragtime is in chapter 21, when Coalhouse Walker Jr. shows up to the house of the Little Boy. Here, we learn that Coalhouse is a professional piano player and watch him play ragtime music for the family, so it can be inferred that he is a professional ragtime musician. The entire family is enchanted by the music, and we find out that Mother’s Younger Brother is familiar with the music style from his “nightlife period in New York.” The last mention of the ragtime is on page 173, right after Mother’s Younger Brother finishes his talk with Emma Goldman. At this point, he is extremely distraught after realizing the extent of his obsession with Evelyn Nesbit. As he is watching the train pass, he compares the sound of the train screeching with their syncopating rhythm to a “suicide rag.”
These three occurrences of ragtime, although completely unrelated in terms of plot, work to bring together the story in a single thread. This is reminiscent of the definition of ragtime itself - syncopated music that blends together to create a layered tune. Much like the beats of ragtime layer to create a masterpiece, the plots in Ragtime layer together to create a beautiful and detailed narrative. Three of the storylines from this novel - Evelyn Nesbit’s life, Coalhouse Walker’s introduction, and Emma Goldman’s activism - all have ragtime in common. In a book where multiple plot lines intersect to create an overall picture of the time period, it is fitting that ragtime itself is the thread that holds the story together.
Great post! I like your introduction of what Ragtime means in the second paragraph. I also like how you mentioned the three points at which Ragtime is mentioned and then explained their connection in the last paragraph.
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis! I'm glad you specific what Ragtime was, because I got the connotation that it was related to music, but wasn't completely sure. But I think you're completely right -- Ragtime serves as a kind of background music to the entire novel as it weaves together different storylines. Its ability to weave in fictional and nonfictional characters in such an ironic way illustrates this point.
ReplyDeleteI find your connection of the book as a whole to ragtime music interesting and I had not thought about that before. It does make sense, seeing how the chapters seem to jump around from character to character, but we still receive a somewhat coherent narrative of the time period. You also mention the scenes where ragtime is specifically mentioned, which might be a nod to the format of the book as a whole. Great post and interpretation of the story!
ReplyDeleteThis is interesting! I like how you pointed out that Ragtime refers to the time period, a music style that appears in everyone's story, *and* a style similar to how the book is written. Also, I find it interesting that while the book uses Ragtime as meta a way to describe how it jumps between its various threads and brings them together, it also brings the characters together (like with Coalhouse and the rest of the family) and pushes them apart (like Evelyn leaving Younger Brother for the ragtime musician).
ReplyDeleteVery insightful analysis! I love the description of what ragtime truly is and how that relates to the numerous storylines found within a book titled Ragtime. I found it especially useful to understand a bit more about music style to therefore understand the era and the characters themselves. Drawing the connection of ragtime between these different tales allows the story to blend into one, a parallel to how the plot of the book has now merged into one central thread. I also share the belief that more references to ragtime will be made and am excited to see the meaning behind these references.
ReplyDeleteHi, this was a really interest post to read! I found it really fascinating and amazing how Doctorow not only blends in the connections of ragtime to the plot of the story as it was a significant form of art in the early 20th century but he also takes the style of ragtime music and incorporates it into the way the story is narrated. It allows for the blending of the multiple narratives occurring at once to feel almost seamless and bring new characters into the plot. Great job!
ReplyDeleteIt's kind of funny to me that we talked about postmodernism not having a metanarrative but I feel like writing a novel where many events are clearly thrown in just because they fit the story, and characters are brought together for convenience, simplifies fiction down to the point where it doesn't represent the idea within postmodernism of complex life that doesn't follow clean, set in stone narratives.
ReplyDelete