Historical Figures in Ragtime

Ragtime is an interesting book that uses famous figures from the early 20th century in various ways. As we have discussed in class, Doctorow’s description of these characters is in many cases ambiguous and open to interpretation while also adding quirks to the historical figures that make them more like fictional characters with characteristics that are specific to the novel. This dynamic creates characters that, while based on historical figures, are unique and interesting in part because of the development that Doctorow gives them in the book.

One particularly clear example of this is Evelyn Nesbit. Her foray into political activism and supporting Emma Goldman’s causes are things that cannot possibly be derived from the historical record, and yet these events are integral part of the Evelyn Nesbit that exists in the world of Ragtime. The historically accurate part of Evelyn Nesbit’s life involves Harry K Thaw murdering Stanford White. It is also entirely possible that Thaw promised Nesbit compensation for a favorable testimony in the trial. However, everything else in the book seems to be completely baseless, not grounded in historical facts but rather just based on Doctorow developing the character of Evelyn through fictional events. Her main identity and the character development that she experiences throughout the novel is in no way backed up by the historical record, and yet it seems like a believable reaction to be drawn to politically radical ideas, especially after being subjected to a media circus during Harry K. Thaw’s trial. The scrutiny and criticism that was most likely leveled at her throughout the process creates an environment where the route her character takes in Ragtime is believable, even if it isn’t backed up by fact.

Another example of this dynamic is in the depictions of JP Morgan and Henry Ford. Doctorow portrays JP Morgan as lonely and troubled. He looks to Egyptian pharaohs and reincarnation to explain to himself why he is in the position he has reached. It seems as if Morgan is exceedingly arrogant in other parts of the description of him, he complains about having no intellectual peers and everybody he meets seems to leave him unsatisfied. Yet, seeing himself as a reincarnation of a pharaoh is some ways a humble idea. It is almost as if Morgan is acknowledging that there has to be a reason that he is on a different plane of intelligence. He can’t believe that it is possible that he reached this position in life without randomness or a divine factor that allowed him to reach the pinnacle. Ford, in contrast is portrayed as extremely focused and almost obsessed with the process. He invented the assembly line, and he acts like it. Everything to Ford can be simplified, and nothing is as complicated as it seems. Ford is developed outside of the historical bounds in a completely different way. Both are tied together by the common thread of reincarnation, but they come to the conclusion that reincarnation is real through very different means. Ford reading about it in a cheap book shows us the contrast between the two characters. Just like JP Morgan is an extension of his profession as a banker, Ford is an extension of his invention; the assembly line.

Doctorow utilizes historical figures in unique ways, giving them each details and characterization that helps flesh out the characters. By turning these historical figures into fictional characters, he gives them meaning in Ragtime. The book utilizes historical figures, but it never makes an attempt to be realistic fiction. The historical figures stick to historical record when it exists, but in cases where it doesn’t, Doctorow improvises, developing these figures into characters through strange, somewhat believable events that subtly distinguish the overall image of the character in some way compared to their historical counterpart. .