Ragtime Father Analysis - 998 Words

Flow with the Changes For most of us, ordinary is the only adjective we would want to use to describe our life. Although we may strive for a simple life, its attainment might not be possible. In the book Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow, a father who likes to read articles to the family during dinner, is the perfect example of this kind of character. He has a family of five. However, big changes occur in his family. An ordinary life is all he seeks, but the world keeps challenging him with changes that completely destroy him. His experiences in Ragtime represent the life and value system of middle/upper class men at the turn of the 20th century. He also represents tragedy; everything can seem perfect at one moment, and yet the next might†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"No one in the family was unmindful of the dangers, yet no one would have him stay because of them† His life before the tragedies was already quite abominable. The expedition to the North Pole was a turning point in his life. Although his relationships with his wife has never been joyful, it’s about to get much worse. He felt completely invisible after his return. Mother learned all about his business. He even cried. Even his son realized that â€Å"His Father, the burly self confident man who had gone away, and came back gaunt and hunched and bearded† (98). Changes in the family ruined him mentally and physically. The author additionally demonstrates his resentment towards of changes through the way he reacts to a full baseball team of immigrants: revulsion. The involvement of his family with Coalhouse Walker was another turning point. Father hated him. His appearance indirectly killed him with the chain of unfortunate events. Father claims that it’s ridiculous to let a car take over everyone’s life (157). He also blames Mother for taking Sarah. He even attempts to threat Conklin. He tries everything to turn his world in the reverse direction. Nonetheless he is doo med with an unstable life. Father, the compassionate husband, dies on the Lusitania ship. A middle-class man started a business, sought an ordinary life, and ended up having many severe family problems. Doctorow made Father a tragic man byShow MoreRelatedOn James Weldon Johnson’s â€Å"The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man†2065 Words   |  9 Pagesmotherly instruction. From this the narrator takes the reader through the development of his attachment to the art form. His talent, which expanded during his young childhood and the early thumping on the piano, evolved into his adulthood styling of ragtime. His early instruction happened in the form of a woman and her daughter, each of whom taught the young narrator in music and in general education. This formed a basic foundation in the fundamentals of music which enabled the narrator to build hisRead MoreAnalyzing Blues Music1765 Words   |  7 PagesThe Blues: Genre Analysis The blues is a musical genre that originated among African-Americans in the Southern United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. From these humble and provincial origins it has come to be appreciated all over the country and the world, and has also spread its influence even more widely by way of its offspring, jazz and rock. While the word genre is certainly appropriate, the blues can be defined more specifically as a closely related set of melodies, harmoniesRead MoreThe New York Times By Richard Taruskin1199 Words   |  5 PagesColonialism has affected music and its cultures both indirectly and directly and plays an important role in music (Grove music Dictionary). For instance, as a result of colonialism, many new genres of music have been created such as jazz, blues, and ragtime. It also led to the development of ethnomusicology, the study of music and culture (Grove Music Dictionary). Richard Taruskin’s article tries to prove the point that all music is historically and culturally situated and that there really isn’t anyRead MoreJazz Research Paper2467 Words   |  10 Pagesthe blues and be happy, carefree happy, even in the midst of sordidness and sorrow. Jazz is a release of all the suppressed emotions at once. Jazz is a part of the direct process of African American music. In rhythm it goes directly back through ragtime, through the minstrel period, through the spirituals and dances to its African origin. Jazz, as we know it, is a product of the age in which we are living. For that reason, it is not pure black music, but rather, the African American reflected in