Ragtime (Masterplots II: American Fiction Series, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: E. L. Doctorow
- First Published: 1975
- Type of Plot: Historical fiction
- Time of Work: The early twentieth century, from 1906 to approximately 1915
- Setting: New York, Massachusetts, Philadelphia, Egypt, Mexico, Alaska, and Germany
- Principal Characters: Little Boy, Father, Mother, Mother’s Younger Brother, Tateh (Baron Ashkenazy), The Little Girl, Sarah, Coalhouse Walker, Jr.
- Genres: Long fiction, Bildungsroman, Historical fiction
- Subjects: African Americans, Maturation or coming of age, Segregation or integration, History, Family or family life, New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Class conflict, Politics, Racism, Love or romance, Race, Sex or sexuality, Twentieth century, Law or legislation, Ethnic groups, Ethnic relations, Immigration or emigration, Death or dying, Revenge, Philadelphia, Egypt or Egyptians, Intermarriage, Pianos or pianists, Mexico or Mexicans, Filmmaking or filmmakers, Germany or German people, Unions or unionism, Alaska, Arctic, WASPs
- Locales: Philadelphia, PA, Egypt, Massachusetts, Germany, Alaska, New Rochelle, NY
The Novel
Ragtime chronicles the lives of three families: a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP) family (composed of the narrator when he is a young boy, Mother, Father, Mother’s Younger Brother, and Grandfather); a black family (Sarah, Coalhouse Walker, Jr., and their illegitimate infant); and an immigrant family (Tateh, Mameh, and The Little Girl). At the beginning of the novel these families’ existences are entirely segregated from one another, but by the story’s end the three families have become one in a uniquely American type of ethnic heterogeneity.
It...
[The entire page is 3586 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
