Annotation (Historical Fiction):Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow

(NOTE: I apologize for the lateness of this post. I had technology problems all weekend that could not be resolved, so I had to wait until I could come to the library.)

Bibliographical Information

Title: Ragtime

Author: E.L. Doctorow

Genre: Historical fiction

Historical Period / Geographical Area: Early 20^th Century New York City

Publication Date: January 1975

Number of Pages: 270

Synopsis

Blending fiction and history is not an easy task, but E.L. Doctorow is seemingly a master at it and Ragtime is easily his most recognizable work. The central focus of the novel is the narrator’s wealthy suburban family simply referred to “Father,” “Mother,” and “Mother’s Younger Brother” as he reminisces to his youth in the years before America’s entry into the First World War. The family has made its wealth through the manufacture of American flags and fireworks. Into their lives comes Coalhouse Walker, his son, and his son’s mother. Despite initial prejudice on part of the narrator’s family, they come to find common enjoyment in Coalhouse’s playing of ragtime music. Intertwined with their story is the depiction of tenement life and the “rags-to-riches” story of Tateh, an Eastern European immigrant who sheds his social beliefs and embraces capitalist entrepreneurship. Following a tragic encounter with racist firemen, Coalhouse is driven to violence and the narrator’s family finds itself as participants and mediators in a standoff situation. Eventually, Tateh finds himself a part of the narrator’s new multiracial family, which leaves New York for California.

Characteristics of Historical Fiction

Ragtime features several characteristics of the historical fiction genre.

• Even though the major characters in the novel are fictional, there are numerous historical figures that play a direct role in the story. These characters include Booker T. Washington, Harry Houdini, Henry Ford, and JP Morgan.
• The novel presents its setting in a particular place and time, and uses timely dialogue that seems pluck from newspapers and stories of the day.
• The themes of race, gender, American cultural identity, economic inequality, poverty, and sexuality are certainly explored in a manner that is representative of the historical period that was called the Progressive Era.
• The author uses actual historical events to frame the microcosm the plot explores.

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