Henry Ford, Seen Through the Eyes of Doctorow
Doctorow has a distinctly post-modernist outlook on things. Especially on the subject of industrialization in the early 1900s. In chapter 18 we see Doctorow give a description of the introduction of the assembly line, through his own interpretation and understanding of the event. His portrayal and description of Henry Ford and his new invention seem both flattering and demeaning at the same time. He seems to recognize its historical signficance while also subtley critizing the motivations and the person behind the invention. Henry Ford is widely regarded as one of the most influential businessmen in all of history because of his introduction of the assembly line. Doctorow seems to respect this fact. However, he does not hesitate to criticize Henry Ford's character in his description of his actions. It is important to note that this book is not completely based on fact. Some of these details are manufactured and purely the imagination of Doctorow, but nevertheless represents a gener...