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I dislike Oswald.

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Not necessarily because he killed JFK, but for many other reasons. He's cocky, arrogant, abusive towards his wife, selfish, and attention-seeking. Basically, he has a God Complex. He really needs some humbling. And based on the story, it seems like most of the other characters agree. One character commented on his “punchable face,” and when Oswald claimed he was smarter than the rest of the soldiers in Atsugi, one of them said he was “dumber too.” So, people hating Oswald seems like a universal thing; he’s just that type of guy. From his youth, Oswald always acted as if he was better than everyone else. He didn’t go to school, read the whole US navy manual, and found it amusing when other kids picked on him. My take on these behaviors is that Oswald sees himself as an elite being. He doesn’t have time to partake in things that ordinary people do such as going to school. He thinks it’s funny that these puny kids could dare to interact with him (even though they destroy him, but stil...
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Dana is a Rufus-Apologist?

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Many times throughout Kindred , we see Rufus commit terrible acts. He demands Alice to come to him at night, orders Dana around at times, and even gets angry with her   to the point of violent action. All the while, Dana tries to see the good in Rufus. Even after the continuous difficulties, she still tries to excuse his behaviors. So why does Dana set Rufus apart from the other white people of the past that she encounters? For one, we know that Rufus is Dana's ancestor. It may be that Dana wishes her ancestors did not have the same experiences that many people had in the stories we learn about the antebellum South. She may have subconsciously set this ideal for her ancestors, specifically Rufus. We know that Dana has seen Rufus since when he was young and naive. This young Rufus might have placed false hope in Dana that her white ancestor was not like the rest. Seeing a child who has yet to completely take in society gave Dana a sense of security with Rufus. But, during the p...
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Hinckle Von Vampire-ton

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The title is just a fun pun and is not related to the rest of the post. The only close connection I can make is the fact that HVV and vampires are immortal (at least, according to Twilight ), and that they both consume unconventional  meals (snakes/crocodile eggs and blood, respectively). Enjoy! Hinckle Von Vampton. Our typical villain. Ishmael Reed describes him as looking like "the 4th Horseman of the Apocalypse" whose name is literally "Death" (55). Creepy. He has lived for many years and has amassed quite a bit of power. For example, we see him enter the building of the New York Sun  newspaper and the managing editor suddenly resigns after a meeting with him. Hmm. Additionally, in his meeting with Hierophant I, Hinckle lays out all of his demands and expects them to be met if he is to comply with the Wallflower Order. Hierophant agrees, too. In this sense, Hinckle is able to get what he wants. But Hinckle also isn't your generic villain. Reed messes with him...
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Younger Brother is so Gen Z (but also not?)

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From the beginning, Younger Brother has always given me a teenager-type vibe. He's quirky and is figuring out his place in life. He knows all the new trends and is well-informed in pop culture (his knowledge of ragtime music, his Evelyn Nesbit poster, etc.). He's also quite opinionated when it comes to social issues, as we saw in the argument between him and Father about the morality of Coalhouse Walker's actions. He fits the mold of a Gen Z kid today, while Father is the perfect example of a Boomer/Gen X. I suppose this connection isn't super mind-blowing since generational differences is a phenomenon that has occurred for a long time and isn't exclusive to the 21st century, but the point is that this pattern exists across Ragtime  and in our modern-day. When looking at Younger Brother's character development, we notice the "coming-of-age" trope. He starts off with no purpose in his life, wandering around the City looking for something to do. His char...
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Hiding Fiction Behind Historical Events

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     Throughout Ragtime , Doctorow incorporates real-life historical events that interact with his fictional characters. However, when he shares these scenes, they are hidden from the rest of the world. Doctorow explores these historical figures' personalities while still maintaining the public image that we know of them in real life.      For example, take the Peary expedition. This expedition to the North Pole was a real thing that happened. In real life, Peary went to the North Pole with a group of people, including Matthew Henson. However, in the book, Doctorow includes Father as one of the men who joined the expedition. Obviously, Father was not part of that group (though one could think of him as a general character that could be any random dude, but that's a different topic), so in an attempt to keep the events appearing real, Doctorow kicks Father out of the actual trek to the North Pole. In the photo that they took at the supposed "pole," we only s...
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