Ragtime

Why do you believe Doctorow decided to title his novel Ragtime? What might he have been trying to communicate through this title?

Why do you think Evelyn Nesbit ends her friendship with Emma Goldman and her relationship with Mother’s Younger Brother, despite how close they all became? What is Nesbit’s character arc, and what does it suggest about Doctorow’s view of women?

Mother’s Younger Brother is one of the more complex characters in the novel, evolving from a privileged, ignorant upper class man to a passionate radical. What do you believe contributed to his embrace of radicalism? Why was he so drawn to revolutionary rhetoric?

Why do you believe Doctorow forwent quotation marks around dialogue? How did this effect your reading of the novel?

Ragtime involves a wide cast of characters whose narrative arcs intersect. Does the range of characters work to the novel’s benefit or detriment? Did you enjoy the many different characters, or would you have preferred the story include a single protagonist?

What is the significance behind Coalhouse being a ragtime musician? What does Coalhouse’s musicianship say about his character?

Why do you believe the family who lives in New Rochelle remained unnamed throughout the novel? What effect does this lend to their storyline?

In Chapter 32, when Coalhouse is creating his radical movement in a secret basement, he tells his followers that no music is allowed. Consider Coalhouse’s character arc and the events he had experienced up to this point. What is the significance of Coalhouse banning music?