Ragtime | Study Guide

E. L. Doctorow

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Course Hero. "Ragtime Study Guide." Course Hero. 13 Mar. 2017. Web. 20 June 2021. <https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Ragtime/>.

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Course Hero. (2017, March 13). Ragtime Study Guide. In Course Hero. Retrieved June 20, 2021, from https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Ragtime/

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Course Hero. "Ragtime Study Guide." March 13, 2017. Accessed June 20, 2021. https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Ragtime/.

Footnote

Course Hero, "Ragtime Study Guide," March 13, 2017, accessed June 20, 2021, https://www.coursehero.com/lit/Ragtime/.

Overview

Ragtime infographic thumbnail

Author

E. L. Doctorow

Year Published

1975

Type

Novel

Genre

Drama

Perspective and Narrator

Ragtime is narrated by a third-person narrator who is possibly the character The Little Boy as an adult. The narration is primarily limited but occasionally switches to omniscient.

Tense

Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow is narrated in the past tense, 50 years after the novel's events.

About the Title

Ragtime music is both a subplot in the novel and, in its juxtaposition of repetitive rhythmic chords played by the left hand and syncopated notes played by the right hand, a metaphor for Doctorow's treatment of history in the novel. In Doctorow's hands, history is repetitive yet has the power to surprise.

Diagrams

Father Affluent white man who represents the "old world" Spouses Spouses Siblings Friends Allies Lovers Lovers Caretaker Coalhouse Ragtime pianist turned vigilante Sarah Depressed young woman Younger Brother Disillusioned youth searching for meaning Mother Woman discontent in her traditional role Tateh Immigrant embracing the American dream Evelyn Model who uses her beauty to get what she wants
Character Map
timeline
Timeline
plot-diagram
Plot Diagram

Summary

This study guide and infographic for E. L. Doctorow's Ragtime offer summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs.

Characters

Father Coalhouse Mother Younger Brother Tateh Evelyn

Symbols

Father Coalhouse Evelyn The Little Boy and The Little Girl

Themes

Change Belonging Repression
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