Doctorow's Emphasis on the Effects of Wealth
Throughout Ragtime , Doctorow delineates the lives of two separate families: Mother, Father and the little boy, and Tateh and the little girl. These two families heavily differ in their social and financial statuses, and therefore also in their ways of life. The little boy is full of excitement for his future, while the girl lives in fear of her past. The contrast between the little girl and the little boy in Ragtime , as well as between Tateh and Father, exemplifies the enduring disparate frames of mind that derive from different upbringings. Tateh and Father are two extremely different men who came from separate upbringings, yet Tateh has become satisfied with his life, while Father has not. Tateh is a Jewish immigrant who lost his wife and has raised his daughter on his own. He previously lived an unhappy life, but always found passion in his art. Although it was risky and difficult, Tateh decided to move from New York to find a better life for him and his daughter. It didn’t...