American Literature

E. L. Doctorow s novel entitled Ragtime is composed of a dynamically different experiences, themes, and characters that unexpectedly meet. As their lives become intertwined, the events in their life contribute to the whole plot. Doctorows novel is a very interesting story that depicts a picture of the American social setting during the early 1900s, before the First World War. Ragtime has a complex plot that centers on the theme of liberation, change, and mans search for meaning. Characters, either main protagonists or guests, enter and exit in the story every now and then. Most of the characters in the story are in search of a purpose in their lives, so they complicate their lives in resolving the current situation they are in with their hidden desires.
    The novel centers on three imaginary families from different races and their surprised encounters with historical characters such as Harry Houdini, Sigmund Freud, J. P. Morgan, Evelyn Nisbit, and Henry Ford. These historically prominent characters appear every now and then to contribute to the reflections of the characters as their personal lives are poked by the contemplations of people whose names are famously known. The events of the story open big realities of personal transformation and fulfillment of roles in the society filled with internal conflicts, violence, and suppression. The novel is easy to follow, and despite the complexity of the storyline, the ending chapters give way to an effective resolution of the story.
    So many things are happening in the whole novel that it can get complicated in many parts. However, this complication would only make readers more interested in how the story might turn out in the end. In addition, the author gives a very unexpected and yet successful conclusion for such a complex story. Although it appears that the end is composed of jumbled events, they are not really randomly written because all the circumstances added by the author serve a purpose. The final chapter is a result of choices made by the characters and not merely coincidences of their lives. The events that take place in the last chapter of the novel effectively address the questions and dilemmas in the different events that occurred in the novel.
    The last chapter of Ragtime includes the death of Coalhouse Walker, a black pianist whose wife died as she was trying to save him from an unfair imprisonment. Walker, who became a rebel already, dies in the hands of the police firing squad. Father, the head of the upper class, white family, witnesses the whole event. Despite his unjustified way of dying, Coalhouse is already prepared for this moment as he said early on to the Mother s Younger Brother that his life already ended when his wife died. Coalhouse began in the story as a black American who was ready to challenge the mistreatment of white Americans towards  them. Like all black Americans in the early 1900s, Coalhouse suffered greatly because the society was not yet ready for the change. The significance of Coalhouses character lies on how his choices root deeply from his actual experiences, although they also predetermined how his character would end in the story.
    It should be stressed that a white man should witness the death of Coalhouse. The characters of the two are greatly intertwined in the story as the Fathers wife was the person who adopted Coalhouses child. Father and Mothers marriage is also a significant part of the the story because they end the story by falling out of love. Although, it is important to note that even before Father died, which was towards the end of the novel, their relationship has already become unmanageable. The marital problems they have experienced are attributed to the personal choices they have done and the distance that have grown in their characters  personalities. This can be observed early on in the novel when Father  looked in Mothers eyes to detect there his justice. He found instead a woman curious and alert to his new being  (Doctorow 92). The many circumstances that happened between them pave way for the realization that they are not really compatible, especially because they possess different views in life.
    The adjustments to a changing nation have been really hard for Father, and these would consume him even until the end of the book. Thus, it could not only be mere coincidence that they have lost their love even before the Father s death. The failure of their relationship led to the development of Mother and Tatehs relationship that ended in marriage towards the final chapter of the story. There has been an attraction nurtured between them in the middle parts of the novel, and after a year of Father s death, Tateh proposes to her and  Mother accepts him without hesitation  (Doctorow 269). Towards the end of Ragtime, Tateh also realizes his dream of becoming a filmmaker as he saw the scene of a  bunch of children who were pals, white black, fat thin, rich poor, all kinds, mischievous little urchins who would have funny adventures in their own neighborhood,  which also reveals the hope of an American society free from racism and disunity (Doctorow 269).
    In the timeline of the last chapter of the novel, World War I is already fast approaching. The guest character of J. P. Morgan decides to travel to Egypt to search for inner peace and his life s meaning. He even tries to persuade Henry Ford to come with him but Ford could not leave Michigan. However, Morgan does not succeed in finding what he was looking for in this spiritual trip.  He paced from the west to the east, from the north to the south, though he didnt know which was which. He decided one must in such circumstances make a distinction between false signs and true signs  (Doctorow 262). Morgan is an epitome of all the other characters in the story who are in search of meaning in their lives and purpose. Thus, this Egyptian trip is significant to the themes explored in the book because it highlights the search for truth that the characters are aiming for in the novel. Most parts of the story focus in this theme, directly and indirectly, and it is important to note that not everyone finds the meaning of his or her life.
    The final chapter of Ragtime is a successful denouement for the complicated storyline and it was not merely created by accidental events. The ending is very unpredictable but is also a reasonable and successful ending for such a complex and moving story because the events are a result of all the personal choices and decisions of the characters. There are no coincidences in the last chapter of the novel because the author, in fact, effectively summarized the whole story in the ending.