"Ragtime"

Paper Summary:

This paper provides a brief character sketch of Emma and Evelyn and discusses how their personalities are intertwined from the beginning of the novel. Set in the turn of the 20th century, E. L. Doctorow is able to capture incredibly human characteristics in his characters to help the reader visualize the mood of America at that time.

From the Paper:

"The reader is introduced early in the novel to Evelyn's character and how she has made a comfortable living from how she looked and how she behaved. Evelyn learned how to enhance her way in life by playing on her looks and femininity in a world dominated by men. She seemed relatively happy with herself and her place in life until she encounters Emma. Doctorow is able to demonstrate through Evelyn how people can live their lives so wrapped up in their own world that they are completely oblivious of mankind's condition as a whole, and therefore unaware of what they can do to make a difference. By allowing the character of Evelyn to mature, Doctorow demonstrates the power of influence and the sometimes painful consequences of facing the truth."

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