Why Ragtime is Called Ragtime?
Hello, my name is Deven Galvez, and this is my first blog post this year! This post will explore the meaning behind the title of the book, Ragtime. I realize that as a class we talked about this topic, however, I wish to take a deeper dive into it and my perspective on it.
To start thinking about why this book is called Ragtime, we
need to first understand the definition. Ragtime according to the Oxford
dictionary is: “a kind of music evolved by African American musicians in the
1890s and played especially on the piano, characterized by a syncopated melodic
line and regularly accented accompaniment.” Meaning that ragtime is a piano
piece that contains a constant beat or melody while accompanied by a different
interchanging melody. Through this definition, we can easily see why the author
had a crucial reason to title his book Ragtime.
Dividing the definition into two pieces, the base melody and
the elaborate interchangeable melody. Doctorow’s novel, Ragtime, displays a
type of writing style that incorporates a constant character or group with
other fictional characters affecting them. In this novel the constant group
within almost all the chapters is the fictional Family.
When Houdini was first introduced, he met the brother of the
narrator and visited their family. Doctorow then wanders in his story and explores
Houdini’s experience and adventures after the encounter before returning to the
family. Then Mother’s younger brother is introduced and associated with Evelyn
Nesbit. Again, the author wanders in his storytelling and talks about Evelyn’s
adventures before returning to the family. This pattern repeats itself continuously
throughout the novel incorporating various people from the family. This
fictional family is the constant within this book that the author enjoys
anchoring these massive historical figures to, which allows the novel to become
chaotic. Due to this style of narrating, the author is allowed to introduce any
historical character if they distantly associate themselves with this family. This
is a perfect example of the ragtime writing style because it contains a
constant melody, the family, and another interchangeable and chaotic melody
which refers to all the historical characters Doctorow incorporates.
The name "Ragtime" does indeed call into question its metaphorical usage throughout the novel, and you effectively deconstruct this style of narrating. As you mention, various introductions of characters that seemingly come from nowhere, akin to a jazz improvisational section, add to the novel's titular allure.
ReplyDeleteExcellent dissection of the title! I agree, and particularly the syncopated balance of semi-randomness that keeps the storyline and the musical pieces "light" and unpredictable is especially prevalent.
ReplyDeleteYour insight provides a different way of looking at the book's title 'Ragtime.' While initially I thought the meaning of the title was to characterize the ever shifting perspective and emotions within the pages of the book. The idea you present is rather interesting. The New Rochelle family provide a constant basis just like rag accompanied by various interchangeable melodies aka the historical characters.
ReplyDeleteA unique interpretation of the title. I like how you contrast Doctorow's storytelling approach with ragtime music. Similar to ragtime piano playing, the family is the primary melody (one hand), while the historical figures are interchangeable, improvised tunes (the other hand).
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting explanation as to why the book is called Ragtime and how Doctrow's writing style fits with the title. Originally, I thought the book was just called Ragtime because of Coalhouse Walker, one of the major characters in the book who is a ragtime musician but this post made me realize that spirit of the music of ragtime is incorporated into the writing of the book.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very interesting post. I had not really considered why the book was called Ragtime, or known much about the mechanics of Ragtime as a music genre. I found this insightful and I think it is an excellent theory as to how to book got its name.
ReplyDeleteIts an interesting breakdown of ragtime. I play some ragtime, and the constant left hand and melodic right hand is definitely a factor. The left hand jumps up and down the keyboard, and the right hand syncopates it. The right hand and left hand complement each other perfectly and playing one hand by itself feels incomplete. I guess this could tie back to the fact that history is incomplete unless you consider as many narratives as possible, adding to the color and harmony.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this. It's an interesting exploration of the choice of ragtime as a metaphor through the musical characteristics of the genre. I also wrote about the metaphor in my post, though I tackled it as a metaphor through the musical setting of the genre. We seem to agree on the fast-paced chaotic nature of the novel (especially the later chapters) and how it relates to ragtime. I'd be interested to hear if you think ragtime's musical era also plays a role in the choice of title. I do believe Doctorow had many intentions for the title and the metaphor of ragtime, and it's a good area to explore further.
ReplyDeleteThis is certainly a deeper interpretation of the novel's title than what I originally thought (simply that the book was named "Ragtime" because it wrote about the ragtime era), and I love it! Your idea points out the similarities between the rhythm of ragtime music with the pacing and interaction strategies of storytelling. What I want to point out, though, is that the family also undergoes some change as well, as Mother's Younger Brother and, later, Mother separate from Father. Would these changes in the family affect the idea that the family represents the "constant" melody in Ragtime?
ReplyDelete