Ragtime

“Patriotism was a reliable sentiment in the early 1900s. Teddy Roosevelt was President. [...] There seemed to be no entertainment that did not involve great swarms of people. Trains and steamers and trolleys moved from one place to another. That was the style, that was the way people lived.”

Doctorow immerses his readers into the quick-paced, passionate atmosphere of early 20th-century America. It was a society acclimating to its burgeoning modernity and new innovations. Many Americans were also proud of their country in the early 20th century, as America had weathered many storms and was establishing its foothold in the world. Going into the 1900s, Americans were excited about what was to come.

“He was solemn and attentive as befitted the occasion. Mother shut her eyes and held her hands over her ears. Sweat from Father’s chin fell on her breasts. She started. She thought: Yet I know these are the happy years. And ahead of us are only great disasters.”

Mother’s relationship with Father is one of solemn obligation. She does not enjoy having sex with him and, as the language indicates above, finds it repugnant. Her pressure to have sex is increased by the feeling of dread she has about the future. Mother is convinced their lives are only downhill from here. Mother will leave Father later in the novel for Tateh. Her second marriage is full of joy and love, proving her anxieties wrong.

“Most of the immigrants came from Italy and Eastern Europe. They were taken in launches to Ellis Island. There, in a curiously ornate human warehouse of red brick and grey stone, they were tagged, given showers and arranged on benches in waiting pens. They were immediately sensitive to the enormous power of the immigration officials.”

Doctorow describes the immigrant demographics and processes of early 20th- century New York. He paints the scene through a critical lens, likening the treatment of immigrants to those of cattle to slaughter. He uses terms such as “tagged” and “waiting pens.” He emphasizes the systemic scope—and blame— for such treatment, describing the overwhelming power of the immigration authorities.