One of the many themes in Ragtime is about characters trying to find their purpose, which is very fitting since the book takes place during the turn of a century. Finding purpose & meaning is one of the primary goals many of the characters try to achieve. All of the following characters attempt to find some sort of meaning in a world that is constantly evolving. For example, J. P. Morgan, a rich man who basically sees himself as a God, is bored of his life and wants to find something interesting in life. J.P. Morgan is the man who has everything but is without purpose. He ends up believing that certain intellectual humans are reincarnated to help others, to the point that he seriously contemplates burying himself in a pyramid. Morgan believes this is why he is as successful as he is and he also believes this is the reason why Henry Ford was a genius. This is why he creates an exclusive club, only including himself & Ford, to go on trips to Egypt and learn more about reincarnation.
Another character of Ragtime is Mother’s Younger Brother. Mother’s Younger Brother is a strange character; in fact you may think he does not even have a character given how “plain” he is. He does not have any purpose and spends the entire book trying to find some sense of motivation to do something worthwhile. Mother’s Younger Brother becomes radicalized by Emma Goldman and other socialists and anarchists, which is why he ends up joining Coalhouse’s gang and despising Father’s oppression of his workers. It was joining Coalhouse’s gang that caused Mother’s Younger Brother to finally find some sort of purpose. On page 183, he says he feels the anger of Coalhouse as if it was his own rage. The influences from socialists on Mother’s Younger Brother make him side with Coalhouse, as Coalhouse was failed by the system and has decided to fight against it, and Mother’s Younger Brother sees this as an honorable fight. However, even when Mother’s Younger Brother has purpose, he still does not completely fit in, as he feels he has to paint his face black to fit in with the gang better.
Tateh is another character in Ragtime who at the start of the book claims he is a socialist. He is enraged with the poverty he sees and personally experiences. He keeps a leash on his own daughter so she will not be kidnapped subject to prostitution. He is obviously unhappy and depressed with his life. Tateh believes his purpose is being a part of the socialist movement; he thinks socialism might be the solution to his problems. In many ways, Tateh is similar to Mother’s Younger Brother. Neither of them have much of a purpose but both are radicalized by socialists. However in chapter 17, after a worker’s strike, Tateh decides he wants to change his life: “...the strike would be won. But then what?... A salary of six dollars and change. Would that transform their lives? They would still live in that wretched room, in that terrible dark room…Tateh began to conceive of his life as separate from the fate of the working class.” (Doctrow, 130-131). At the end of the chapter, Tateh finds his calling, making movie books. Later, he becomes successful and is reinvigorated by his new passion. He is happy, and wealthy after finding his meaning in life.
In chapter 13, Harry Houdini becomes bored and dissatisfied with his usual tricks and shows. He continues with his performances despite his excitement for his career being at an all-time low. No matter how much the audience cheered or how big the crowd was, Houdini lacked motivation with his shows. He contemplates and wonders about his purpose in life, as stated by the quote “[Houdini] had never known such feelings of dissatisfaction. He wondered why he had devoted his life to mindless entertainment” (Doctrow, 101). The magic of Houdini’s magic had faded away. Houdini’s enthusiasm was restored when he learned about the airplane, a majestic machine able to soar through the skies. The airplane in Ragtime is an example of one of the many new pieces of technology introduced in the early 20th century. The introduction of the airplane in the story of Ragtime reminds the reader of the milestones reached in this period of history, and Houdini’s excitement in flying the airplane is only one of many examples of characters attempting to find their footing in this ever-changing era of new discoveries.
A recurring element in the narrative involves characters discovering their purpose in life. The story of MYB discovering his purpose, in my perspective, stood out more than that of the other personalities discussed. The theme was made more apparent, though, by the way you narrated the stories of other people, some of whose tales were shorter than those of MYB.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, however I disagree with your example of Tateh. Rather than finding his purpose, I believe he is only pursuing that venture because it makes him rich. He only began in the first place to entertain his daughter, not because making them made him inexplicably happy, and only continued because they were a great way to earn money to support him and the little girl. However, this is just my opinion. Maybe the argument could be made his true calling is capitalism, and succeeding in the American Dream. Regardless, good post!
ReplyDeleteMYB is an especially explicit example of a character who, at the start of the novel, is "thought to be having trouble finding himself," but who seems to have fully committed himself to some literal *causes* by the conclusion of his story, even to the point of DYING for the cause of the Mexican Revolution. You're right that his case is treated with the most explicit irony by Doctorow, where he seems to suggest that none of these "causes" are really "his"--he first "finds himself" with his worshipful relations with Evelyn, then is redirected and "radicalized" by Goldman, then he attaches himself to Coalhouse with the heavily ironic and ambiguous use of blackface, which at the very least reflects the degree to which he is "cosplaying" a revolutionary.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, though, he DOES succeed in "blowing things up," and his contributions end up being vital to Coalhouse's movement. And he also contributes meaningfully to the Mexican Revolution, eventually dying for the cause. There's a lot of ambiguity in his character: he is simultaneously something of a clown AND a "real revolutionary."
Great post! I agree that Doctorow shows various characters trying to find meaning in their lives. He shows both rich and poor people feeling unsatisfied with where they are. MYB is a particularly interesting character because the reader never feels satisfied with his character's place in the book.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great dive into the themes of purpose and search for meaning/identity in Ragtime. It is interesting how each of these characters, one living at the top of the world, one around the middle, and one very near the bottom, all interact with the search for purpose, and what leads them to it. I think there is something so universal about the search for identity that both J.P. Morgan, a man deluded as far as to believe he may be a god, and Tateh, an immigrant living in poverty, can experience it, which Doctorow addresses very well. I think there is a lot to explore with MYB, who I compared to Britta Perry from Community a lot through reading the book (at least before she got flanderized/twisted after season 2/3, but this is a comparison not many people will recognize anyways so feel free to ignore this bit), with his actions ironically addressed, though he seems to have a genuine want to be a part of a movement. The question there, I suppose, is what sort of balance there is between his own desperate search for purpose and a genuine devotion to a cause.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post, Rohail! While Mother's Younger Brother seemed to stand out in his search for purpose, I never considered to apply that search of purpose to other characters. It's important to note, however, that despite the fact that these characters fall under the broad category of finding purpose, they each still have their own individualized narratives that make each of their stories unique. In fact, I believe that to a certain degree every character in the book is in search of their purpose, building their own unique narratives. Take Charles Victor Faust, for example. Despite not being athletically fit or qualified for a spot on the Giants baseball team, he desperately clings onto his dream, as he views it as his sole purpose. Much like how MYB is constantly clinging to the purposes of different people, Faust is determined to fulfill his dream, a definition of his unique narrative.
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