E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime

Winifred Farrant Bevilacqua (Università Degli Studi di Torino)
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As in much of his fiction, in

Ragtime

(1975) Doctorow turns his attention to a period in American history and develops themes regarding justice, individual identity, social responsibility, national realities and cultural myths in a narrative which is multidimensional, ironic and self-reflexive. He sets the action of this novel between 1902 and 1917 – the period known as the Progressive Era and the Era of Ragtime – and emphasizes the disorientation and turmoil that accompanied the large-scale transformation of the nation from its traditional character into one that is increasingly urban, industrial, commercial, and secular. He also implies connections between problematic issues regarding race, class, gender and ethnicity in those years and in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His…

3849 words

Citation: Farrant Bevilacqua, Winifred. "Ragtime". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 July 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=2451, accessed 28 March 2024.]

2451 Ragtime 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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