Ragtime

In this quotation from Chapter 20, J.P. Morgan discusses the effect of technology on society as well as on the nature of the individual, a theme which manifests itself in many different instances in Ragtime. With increasing urbanization, industrialization, and mechanization, the turn of the century led many, especially the laborers who were so profoundly and directly affected, to question the benefits of such technology. In suppressing individualism, technological advancements and science in general, Morgan argues, also contribute to a loss of spiritual sensitivity. However, Morgan ultimately believes in the power of the "transcendentally gifted" to retain their importance, despite the barriers presented by the modern world.

In Chapter 21, Father has what he considers an important revelation: he believes that Coalhouse has no awareness of his race, or of his place in society. Through Coalhouse Walker's character, Doctorow establishes a commentary on race relations during this time in American history. Since Coalhouse conducts himself with pride atypical of African Americans at this point in history, his expectations of how he should be treated repeatedly come into direct conflict with others' expectations of how African Americans should be treated. Because Coalhouse refuses to adhere to the social norms for his particular race and challenges racial stereotypes, whites often react with resentment and indignation, especially in the case of the New Rochelle authorities which whom he interacts. Doctorow employs an ironic tone to express his disapproval of such prejudice. Despite their mostly good intentions, Mother and Father also tend to endorse the racial attitudes of their time. The above passage demonstrates the extent to which Coalhouse's mannerisms struck Father as highly unacceptable; and, because Father represents the typical white male at the turn of the century, Doctorow thus makes a larger statement about the nation's racial attitudes.

Father's reactions to the changed circumstances he finds upon his return from his trip to the Arctic reflect his growing sense of alienation from his family and his town. In the relatively short time of his absence, his family's dynamics and interactions have undergone considerable change. Again, Doctorow employs the metaphor of duplication to express individual characterizations. The mirror provides an opportunity for self-reflection that, in this instance, depresses Father. His wife's facility with the duties of the family business in his absence, as well as his son's growing maturity and competence, create in Father the feeling that he is unneeded, consequently undermining his sense of his own masculinity.

The story of Mother's Younger Brother and his involvement with Coalhouse has universal relevance. Mother's Younger Brother is a young, idealistic person with little direction in life. However, when he joins Coalhouse's group of revolutionaries, he finally feels as if his life contains a sense of purpose. However, Mother's Younger Brother ultimately meets his death while engaged in such an idealistic battle. In this manner, Doctorow conveys the notion that such a wholehearted commitment may also prove painful for both the young revolutionary himself and those closest to him.

This dramatic passage addresses not only the ways in which Mother and Father have changed in each other's absence, but also the differences on their perspectives on sexuality. Father seems to experience a profound sense of immorality in deriving pleasure from sex, as evident in his fear of God's judgment. In this sense, as well as in many of his other social views, Father represents the traditional male at the turn of the century, incapable of real change, resentful of the altered world around him, which is beyond his control, and rigid in his conceptions of morality.