society? In the historical fiction novel Ragtime, Doctorow writes about how the world of the house on Broadview Avenue, “There were no Negroes. There were no immigrants,” (Doctorow 4). The white, upper class American society at this time point had no apparent problem with people of color or immigrants, as long they stayed in their given place and did not push forward from under the blanket white Americans placed in order to maintain their own status quo. In Ragtime, one is able to see how Doctorow almost
Escape Everyone is not in the same situation financially, mentally, or physically. People do things that they think make the most sense to them, and when they perform a certain action they do it because they think it is for the best. In Ragtime, Doctorow thought escape encapsulated the early 20th US century because it is a recurring theme shown throughout every situation in the book. Throughout the novel, Doctorow refers to the character's search for meaning and stability. I agree that during this
progressive era, people believed in American dream and how hard work will lead into success. This era was notable for political reform, the era was focused on change, and how politics could be changed for the better. There is three fictional families in Ragtime that face the social unjust that was going on during this time period. These three families, in fact, are a good representation of life was
"There were no negroes, there were no immigrants". Doctorow uses this statement to set the theme for the novel Ragtime where the entire book works to disprove it. The sentence doesn't just state two bold facts. It goes much deeper than this, saying that there is an entire society in the book full of one race of people that fear change. These people push for a life where they do not have to recognize the triumphs of the "negroes" and the "immigrants" However, in the end, the ones who run from change