American government and society as portrayed in the novel Ragtime

E.L. Doctorow’s novel “Ragtime” is a discussion on turn of the century American society, government, and ideals. Throughout the novel, Doctorow discusses the intertwining relationships between a number of characters, each coming from various places within society. The Jewish, immigrant, socialist Tateh and his young daughter, the middle-class family of mother, father, mother’s younger brother, and the little boy, Coalhouse Porter the social misfit who is a economically rising black man, each of these characters represent a portion of society and the problems both externally and internally afflicting American social consciousness at the time. Interdispersed between these main character stories is the placement of actual historical events and people. Doctorow places well-known events and people to give credence to his discussion of democratic values and liberalist deficiencies in American society.
Throughout the novel Dokorow examines the intertwining relationships between m...