Essay on Ragtime

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Sex in Ragtime

Throughout the novel, there are instances of both violent and more refined

sexual references. While an obvious reason for these is the titillating effects

of them, there are deeper, more relevant reasons for them. There are three main

groups within which the sexual activity takes place: Father and Mother, Younger

Brother and Evelyn Nesbit, and Harry Houdini and Harry K. Thaw. Some are more

obvious and explicit than others, but they all have great purpose. The sexual

activity between Father and Mother is used to define their relationship, sexual

activity by Younger Brother is used as a replacement for violence, and the one

scene between Houdini and Thaw is used to elucidate the difference between the

classes. The sexual activity that is most relevant to the story line occurs in

the relationship between Father and Mother. While these scenes definitely imply

sexual activity, they are definitely not as intense as the erotic scenes between

other characters. After their relationship has been analyzed, one can see that

the relationship between Mother and Father is one that seems to be held together

purely by sexual desire. The first reference to this is at the very beginning

of the novel. Doctorow writes, "On Sunday afternoon, after dinner, Father and

Mother went upstairs and closed the bedroom door"(p 4). Their marriage is happy

as long as they continue to have a good physical relationship. Whereas in the

beginning of the novel Mother and Father's relationship was good, by the end of

the novel "He felt it had been stupid to leave his wife alone"(p 233). Mother's

disdain for Father is conveyed to the reader when he tells her that he will be

taking their boy to the Baseball game on the following day. Doctorow writes, "

she was checked in her response, which was to condemn him for an idiot, and when

he left the room she could only wonder that she had had that thought in the

first place, so separated from ant feeling of love"(p 226). Mother obviously

has lost her love for Father. The reason for this is outlined in the following

quotation when Father returns from his expedition to the North Pole. Doctorow

writes, "At night in bed Mother held him and tried to warm the small of his back,

curled him into her as she lay against his back cradling his strange coldness.

It was apparent to them both that this time he'd stayed away too long"(p 110).

In the case of Mother and Father, Their sexual encounters are a parallel

description of their overall relationship. When sex is good, their relation

ship is good; when sex is cold, their relationship is cold. This parallelism is

demonstrated before Father leaves for his voyage. Doctorow writes, "He was

solemn and attentive as befitted the occasion. Mother shut her eyes and held

her hands over her ears. Sweat from Father's chin fell on her breasts"(p 12).

Just as their sex is solemn, their relationship is, at this point, very solemn.

The most obvious instance of a violent...