The crazy history-fiction mash up of Ragtime

I was reading the novel and after a while it just seemed like after every turn of a page, there was an allusion to a historical event or person. Though at the same time Doctorow develops his fictional characters at the same time as those that are actual historical figures. We are exposed to the fictional characters such as Mother, Father, Younger Brother, the little boy, and even Tateh and little girl. We see them develop personalities even though they are never given real names. Which I guess in this sense can be seen as one thing that does separate them from the historical figures. The historical figures we are introduced to are also molded with these fictional personalities and taking part in events that we can not say are 100% true.

Though with the appearance of historical figures we are allowed to form a time frame, yet with the event such as the presidential elections mentioned in the novel we can narrow down the time frame to exact years. The only date that is stated in the book is when Father built the house in 1902. From there on we are left to determine the time from such markers that Doctorow provides us with. The presidential election between Taft and Roosevelt for example allows us to put the time at 1908 for the events occurring in the 9th chapter. With the production of the first Model T at Highland Park, Michigan we can place the events occurring in chapter 19 in the year 1910.

Doctorow gives us times in very indirect ways in order to follow the story of Ragtime throughout history. This thus providing the historical aspect to the novel. Though where he differs from the average historical fiction novel is when the historical characters take part in non-factual events. The first account of this is Evelyn Nesbitt's interaction with Tateh and the little girl. There is no evidence that Evelyn Nesbitt ever took part in such things as slumming or ever had such encounters with a man or girl by the likes of Tateh and the little girl. Other such events are the interactions between Evelyn Nesbitt and Emma Goldman, the relationship between Evelyn Nesbitt and Younger Brother.

The mash-up of history and fiction that occurs in the novel is similar to that of a historical fiction novel but differs with the interaction of the fictional characters with the historical characters. Though at the same time it causes confusion as to what to believe to be historically accurate and what to see as fictional. This applies to both the events and characters.