Ragtime

Because Scott Joplin grew up in a musical family he was already exposed to the magic of music and how it made people feel inside. Scott Joplin was born on April 1, 1897 with African American parents. He was known as the “King of Ragtime Writers” for his talent of composing ragtime music that all loved. Because his family was musically talented, some would say that he was born with a little something extra when composing his music. His mother sang for a banjo singer and player and his father…

culture affirming this. Beginning with the development of Blues and Ragtime, this paper will discuss the…

breed sad sorrows for themselves.” The sorrows that emanate from the prideful could range from destruction and turmoil, sadness experienced by others, or one’s own unfortunate defeat. Oedipus from Oedipus the King and Coalhouse Walker Jr. from Ragtime relate to this proverb because both let their pride manipulate their actions, thus resulting in their breeding of sorrows, or in this case their downfall. Coalhouse Walker undoubtedly breeds sorrows for himself through his prideful…

where does faith fall when it comes to history? Well faith was clearly displayed to me when the 8th grade went to Ford’s Theater to the play ragtime. All of the action is the production had lots of faith especially Colehouse Walker Jr. Colehouse was a african american that had lots of passion and determination to make blacks and whites equal. The story “Ragtime” took place in the early 1900s and tells the story of three groups in the United States. During this time there was segregation and…

that brought the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th amendments which changed our country with voter reform, income taxes, women’s suffrage, and prohibition. One major proponent of these changes were women’s groups working for the equality of the sexes. In Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow, he tries to paint a vivid depiction of women and their sexuality and how it changes paralleling the suffrage movement of the time; however, the images of sex and language used towards women show their status as sex objects in…

Finding A Purpose Finding where you fit in the world can be a challenge. Some of us find our place with ease, while others spend their whole lives searching for a place they can truly be themselves. In Ragtime, we are presented with many characters who face the trials of life as they become themselves. Most of the characters found their way through life over the course of the book. Mother and Tateh ended up together; Evelyn Nesbit helped the little girl have a better life; even Coalhouse Walker…

While this textbook definition may be true, the word freedom is much more complex than that. What the dictionary doesn’t mention is that freedom can be interpreted in so many different ways and comes with much responsibility. E.L. Doctorow’s novel, Ragtime, is the perfect example of the different ways people view freedom. Each of the characters are from different walks of life which alters their perception of freedom in America. At this time in America, major societal changes are taking place…

swings, but the individual doesn't have to get caught in that.” The social ‘pendulum’ swing has been evident throughout history, but particularly evident during the period of the early 1900s leading up to the roaring twenties. In E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime, Father, a main character, has trouble fitting into the new world. One must inquire deeper into the work to find that the author’s use of literary devices and writing style reflect Father’s discontent with his own life, and the new America being…

A few of the popular ones were Blues and Ragtime. Blues is very similar to Jazz because of the similar ways musicians modify the instruments for the pieces. Artists like Robert Johnson helped showcase the modification of the guitar beautifully. He used a slide which helped mimic the sound of another…

American life is achieving the “American Dream”. The very thought of living a life of freedom in lifestyle choice, economic opportunity, and political engagement, drove many immigrants to this country. E.L Doctorow explores this phenomenon in his novel, Ragtime. Although he speaks almost explicitly about achieving the American dream, what he does not say is almost as important. The American Dream is not achievable for African Americans, or any non-white person, who does not assimilate themselves…