Themes In Ragtime
Ragtime, a work of historical fiction that is mainly set in New York City from about 1900 until the United States entry into World War I in 1917. It is a novel with many impactful themes. Major themes include: the theme of accepting change, and dealing with the instability of life. But one of the most universal themes in the novel is also the most applicable, the theme of escape. To best analyze the theme of escape in the novel, we must look at each character on an in-depth level.
First, we Mother is part of the upper class family living in New Rochelle. She is greatly disappointed by her marriage to Father. However, once Father dies, her whole world changed, and she ends up marrying Tateh. Also, she feels guilt about her treatment of her …show more content…
He is married to Mother and owns a company that manufactures fireworks and many patriotic items, such as flags and banners. Just looking at what his shop sells reveals a wealth of information about his character. Father's character represents the traditional norms of late nineteenth century America. He is old-fashioned, and cannot accept the societal changes that came with the Progressive Era. He has a difficult time escaping. Actually, he doesn’t want to escape at all. However, this was not uncommon for the time period, his views mirrored the views of the majority of Americans. Unfortunately, it seems that Father resents the changes his family is making. Father was born into a highly intellectual upper-class family on the East Coast, and this information about his upbringing reveals a many things about his personality. In fact, in chapter 28 we are told …show more content…
The major theme in the novel (escape) is also seen in the Untied States in the early 20th century. The first event/movement that captures the theme is immigration during the early 1900’s. After the depression of the 1890’s, immigration went from 3.5 million to 9 million in the first decade of the 20th century. After the 1880’s, immigrants mostly came from Eastern and Southern European countries, as well as Canada and Latin America. By 1910, Eastern and Southern Europeans made up 70 percent of the immigrants coming into the United States. Immigrants were seeking escape from religious, racial, and political
First, we Mother is part of the upper class family living in New Rochelle. She is greatly disappointed by her marriage to Father. However, once Father dies, her whole world changed, and she ends up marrying Tateh. Also, she feels guilt about her treatment of her …show more content…
He is married to Mother and owns a company that manufactures fireworks and many patriotic items, such as flags and banners. Just looking at what his shop sells reveals a wealth of information about his character. Father's character represents the traditional norms of late nineteenth century America. He is old-fashioned, and cannot accept the societal changes that came with the Progressive Era. He has a difficult time escaping. Actually, he doesn’t want to escape at all. However, this was not uncommon for the time period, his views mirrored the views of the majority of Americans. Unfortunately, it seems that Father resents the changes his family is making. Father was born into a highly intellectual upper-class family on the East Coast, and this information about his upbringing reveals a many things about his personality. In fact, in chapter 28 we are told …show more content…
The major theme in the novel (escape) is also seen in the Untied States in the early 20th century. The first event/movement that captures the theme is immigration during the early 1900’s. After the depression of the 1890’s, immigration went from 3.5 million to 9 million in the first decade of the 20th century. After the 1880’s, immigrants mostly came from Eastern and Southern European countries, as well as Canada and Latin America. By 1910, Eastern and Southern Europeans made up 70 percent of the immigrants coming into the United States. Immigrants were seeking escape from religious, racial, and political