Ragtime in Ragtime

Ragtime is a genre of music like no other. It has a distinct connection to the time period in which it was popularized. It is also significant to the themes of this story, as ragtime was typically music for the poor. It was not "elite" or "refined". Evidence of this is that ragtime sounds the best when played on old out of tune pianos, which was all many poorer families could afford. Just like we see when Coalhouse Walker performs for the family, more specifically Sarah, for the first time. The melodious chords rang out even more because of the added character from the lack of tuning. When we listened to the sample in class, the music sounded a bit corny and lacked luster, because of how well-tuned the piano sounded. However, if you listen to recordings online of ragtime played on very old rustic pianos, there is so much more soul to the music. This book is about class separations and inequalities. 

However, this book is not at all about ragtime. Ragtime is just in reference to the time period, and the overall narrative structure of the novel. There are so many intricate different storylines that are interwoven into the story that we are constantly thrown into. A pretty striking example of this fast-paced storytelling is how chaotic the last chapter of the book is. It seems almost too rushed, especially Coalhouse Walker's death. What should have been one of the most emotional scenes in the book seemed to just be glossed over, moving through several important events at a rapid-fire pace. Ragtime is a very fast-paced style of music, and it's specially recognized as such because of the black and white films associated with it. The last chapter, however, is a bit of an outlier in the bruteness and lack of respect it seems to have for the events in it. It was not at all satisfying as a conclusion. I am not sure why Doctorow really even mentioned World War 1, a massive event, but only to give a few sentences in the novel, while simply saying, the era of ragtime had run out.

As it appears his goal was to simply write a novel about the ragtime era, he seems to show no desire and no responsibility to discuss anything more than that. He shows little concern for the plots that he has developed, and in a way shows that some of these characters have little connection to the era, and others are rooted in it, a prime example being Father, who is almost "frozen" in time so to speak. Time moves on without them whether we like it or not. 

All in all, there are so many ways we can connect ragtime to this novel. Doctorow has made this novel so much like ragtime, while barely even giving it much significance inside the story. 

Comments

  1. EliFebruary 18, 2022 at 4:10 PM

    Wow in never though about the musical comparisons between the title of Ragtime and the era of ragtime itself. The part about how ragtime music played on old rustic pianos (as apposed to well-tuned pianos) sounded like they had more "soul" really made me think about the themes of Ragtime. It is impressive that Doctorow can even hide themes of class tensions in the title of the book. Cool post!

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  2. LillianFebruary 18, 2022 at 10:15 PM

    "Ragtime is a genre of music like no other. It has a distinct connection to the time period in which it was popularized. It is also significant to the themes of this story, as ragtime was typically music for the poor. " This is interesting, because when we hear about Ragtime in the book its mostly in the context of the wealthier characters such as Coalhouse or the family, especially Younger Brother. I almost wonder if that was deliberate? Throughout the story the rich characters very much (not Coalhouse but the others) dabble in the lives of the poor for enjoyment.

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    Replies
    1. Stefania February 19, 2022 at 7:35 PM

      This is an interesting point, about how mostly rich characters interact with ragtime. Then again, ragtime music was a way for Coalhouse to earn money as a black man in that time, so the music doesn't seem to be there for the purpose of enriching the wealthy, but rather it allowed a disadvantaged character to get an upper hand.

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  3. LaraFebruary 18, 2022 at 11:09 PM

    I really like how you connect multiple instances of references to ragtime throughout the book. I never really considered what significance the title of the book had until we finished and I certainly didn't draw as many connections as you. The subtle references Doctorow makes are really interested to pick out. Great post!

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  4. Clara WoodFebruary 24, 2022 at 8:41 PM

    I think you bring up some really interesting comparisons here. The genre of Ragtime music seems to be classified by its fast paced, machine-like and bright tone, as well as its "ragged" rhythms. From your description of the books narration style, I can perhaps see the similarities between it and the characteristics of the ragtime music genre. Despite covering some very heavy topics and events, the book never gets trodden down with emotion, and continues along steadily. The quirky matter-of-fact tone of the narration emulates the music of the time period it references.

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  5. Lorenzo PantanoFebruary 24, 2022 at 10:16 PM

    I really liked how you talked about ragtime sounding better on out-of-tune pianos, and how it relates to class inequalities. I hadn't really thought about how the way ragtime is consumed by different classes could also symbolize class separations in the novel. Great post!

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  6. Emily SMarch 1, 2022 at 8:41 AM

    honestly this is quite a thoughtful comparison, its a really unique perspective to include the notion on the out of tune pianos, how that demonstrates the class issues that are present through the entire book. you can especially see the syncopation you touched on towards the end of this, where strange parts are accented and others are completely skimmed over. much like mumbo jumbo has with jazz, it feels like youre reading a ragtime piece with this book. best as you can write a musical piece into a novel lol

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