Embracing Change
Although I enjoyed many of the characters in Ragtime, Mother stood out to me as an exceptionally written character. Ragtime takes place at the turn of the 20th century and a big theme of the time -- and, of course, the book -- is the idea of change. Doctorow hits on various key societal changes through many characters: we see Emma Goldman publicly trying to fight for a better society, Younger Brother joins Coalhouse and later goes to Mexico to continue his fight for justice, and Coalhouse himself is a good example of a fight for racial changes. The list goes on, but the character who I'd most like to focus on is Mother.
Throughout the book, Mother's personality goes through major changes and, by the end, she discovers an entirely new existence for herself. Unlike Father, who is unable to keep up with the changes around him and eventually becomes depressed, Mother thrives in her new environment. During Father's excursion to the North Pole, Mother becomes self-reliant. She finds a new purpose in taking care of Sarah's baby, she realizes she is fully capable of running a business on her own, and she learns that she doesn't need men in her life to support her. In effect, when Father returns, he sees an entirely new side of Mother. She reads Emma Goldman and opposing opinions to educate herself, she's less complacent and submissive around Father, and she's more open to the world around her.
By the final chapter, Mother is married to Tateh, she has three children of different races and ethnicities, and she's happy and liberated. I couldn't have thought of a better character arc for Mother. She perfectly embodies the major changes of the time and is a prime example of a character I would root for. Sure, her actions were debatable at times, but I think it's important to understand the context she grew up in. As a white woman in New Rochelle in the late 1800s to early 1900s, we can't expect her to have any awareness of the outside world. And yet, in spite of that, she gladly adapts. Instead of continuing to reinforce the prejudices that were instilled in her for years, she chooses her own life and her own morals to live by -- something I certainly aspire to do.
Hi Lara! I love your post and I definitely agree - of all the characters in the novel, Mother showed the most growth and transformed into a new person. Her actions throughout the novel are admirable and I appreciate Doctorow's attention to Mother throughout the entire narrative. We see a gradual shift in Mother's confidence and consequently her morals and actions through small details, such as the books she is reading and her interactions with Sarah. Mother's plotline provides readers with a classic coming-of-age (coming-of-middle age..?) story that leaves readers empowered amongst the gloomy chaos in the subplots of Ragtime.
ReplyDeleteI think Mother is a great character to look at for a character that Doctorow admires in this novel. I think the contrast between Father and Mother is a really good way of showing how if you don't change with the times and aren't open to change, you can get left in the past. Mother's change in morals and confidence is really inspiring to see and I think she's a character we can all look up to. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteI agree, it's interesting to see the polar differences between how Mother and Father react to the changing world of ragtime. I am still somewhat skeptical of her relationship with Tateh, given how poorly he treated his ex-wife, but I think her openness to developing a new relationship shows how her character evolved from the timid woman that Houdini described at the beginning of the book. She is one of the only characters to have survived the transition from ragtime to the next era
ReplyDeleteI'd never really thought about the way that Doctorow uses his characters to show the fight for various major societal changes (you mentioned Goldman, Younger Brother, and Coalhouse), even though it seems obvious. Doctorow's usage of Mother's character development to show how important independence, especially women's, is, is something that completely went over my head. I was just happy for Mother and Tateh.
ReplyDeleteMother is definitely the most dynamic and progressive character in the book, and this can be observed at any point in the book. She constantly faces new experiences and builds herself based on them. A lot of people have compared this progression to a coming of age story, which I completely agree with (if you ignore that she has already 'came of age').
ReplyDeletemother is the only actually character development we really get to see in this book, and i think your analysis of this development here is really nice. throughout the novel we see her moving outwards from the ragtime period, leaving the end of the book with the weird last chapter like one of those "where are they now?" montages. father seems to be the only one left behind, his entire family basically uprooting itself in the name of progress. especially important is your note here of how history doesnt just stop, it constantly continues, and so mother is required to move with the times. father, a relic of the past, is doomed to decease.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessment of mother's development. I also think it's notable that Tateh, one of the few other characters who gets a happy ending, is also one of the few able to successfully adapt to his circumstances- perhaps Doctorow is trying to send a message there? I'm less eager to praise Tateh's evolution, though. While "selling out" is understandable, especially given that he was a single father, it's disappointing to see one of the characters that was most committed to bringing about social change lose so much of his zeal.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree, Mother does perfectly embody everything Doctorow set out to accomplish in this novel in regards to the changing times. The key to this change seems to be the absence of Father. Now that she is alone, Mother is given the opportunity, and even to an extent forced to change. I think it might be less about finding the opportunity to change and more about choosing not to fail, since in Father's absence she could only succeed or give up.
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