The Name Game of Ragtime
The world of Ragtime is populated by both the factual and the fictional. As these lines blur, one distinct theme is that the historical figures are named, while the majority of the fictional characters are given only vague descriptors, such as "Tateh" or "Mother's Younger Brother." Because the book serves as a commentary on early twentieth century industrial America, the vagueness may be part of its message. The trials and tribulations the characters undergo can be extrapolated to any family in the country. The central figures of the book represent the experiences of many Americans at a specific moment in history. This applicability, or flexibility, makes the scope of the themes examined in the book -- such as racism and wealth discrepancy -- feel much more broad, common, and inevitable. Another theme of the book is how the various groups of people -- such as Evelyn and men in her life or Tateh and his daughter -- each have complex stories, and how those stori...