The Soundtrack to Ragtime: The Pieces Doctorow Picked to Set the Scene
As we read Ragtime, with all its parallel narratives and unexpected plot points, there are items and characters we can point to as being real. Many of the places we’re visiting, the people we’re meeting, and even the ships named (as far as I can tell, don’t check me too hard on that one), really existed or still exist. New Rochelle in New York, Harry Houdini, President Howard Taft, Sigmund Freud, Madison Avenue, Carl Jung, and John D. Rockefeller for example. They are in a sense pre-made characters and settings for Doctorow to work with, and the heavy lifting of writing and character development is mostly done for him by history. The description he does add, for example the way he depicts Taft’s enormous size, is only for literary play or to tie into a larger point he’s making. Writing in this way puts his opinions and the actions of the characters at the forefront of the narrative.
In addition to places and people however, the reader will occasionally stumble across a bit of italicized text: the names of pieces of music. purposely adding dimension to his work, Doctorow reaches beyond the imagination and into the auditory. He employs a rather sophisticated trick in building his ambiance. He name-drops real titles and develops his settings by having the reader imagine the events taking place with background music, perhaps like in a movie or play. In our lucky modern era, all of us can go this extra step into literary immersion. Let’s look at some examples.
First, we see Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody mentioned on page 36 at the opening of the 6th chapter. Described as a violin duet, it’s the backdrop for the entrance of the psychologists. Suspenseful and dramatic, the status of these characters, and the importance of their affairs is shown rather than explicitly said. Perhaps even further than that, the changing moods of the piece and overlapping parts seek to convey the bustle of New York which Freud so dislikes. This sort of musical painting is particularly apparent starting around the 3:00 minute mark. Doctorow, by doing as little as mentioning the piece, inserts his narrative between the lines of music.
Next, Chopin’s Minute Waltz. Again at the start of a chapter (this time chapter 10 on page 72), Father’s trip is marked by the piece, which was played incredibly quickly by captain Peary’s piano player, along with Bowdoin school songs. What is the sort of vibe we get from this piece? Again, the choice to reference classical music as well as the music of a prestigious school conveys that same sort of importance and status which this Arctic expedition obviously commands.
Great job! I think the 'soundtrack' of a novel is such an interesting and defining aspect, and really determines the story's vibe. I hadn't noticed before, but the music mentioned really aligns with whatever plot events are taking place and what they represent -- for example, Chopin next to an expedition that both are almost relics of times past.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds me of that myspace feature where users could add a song to play over their profile. An interesting technique from Doctorow, truly ahead of his time
ReplyDeleteI have never thought of name dropped music as a soundtrack to a book before. I did not know any of these pieces by name but actually knowing them really makes this book much more tangible. I usually skim over details like that but I will definitely start keeping an eye out on songs in future books.
ReplyDeleteWait, that's really interesting! I also didn't realize that Doctorow included soundtrack to his book! The music sets the mood for the scene, and almost lets us predict what's going to happen next. I wonder what motivated him to do this? I think it makes the book even more thoughtful than before
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting correlative to some observations I was making in a post about Doctorow's use of art as a point of reference for his "historical reality" in Ragtime ("Winslow Homer and the Light on the Eastern Seaboard")--the novel also name-drops famous works of music to "score" the "historical" scenes for the reader. Needless to say, a musical score is a *fictional* (artistic, aesthetic, not "realistic") element of narrative--real life, unfortunately, doesn't have a soundtrack unless we provide it for ourselves, and this is another way that the novel foregrounds its "reality" as *art*. And you didn't even get to the part where Coalhouse performs well-known ragtime compositions by Joplin in the family's home, where we get very explicit commentary on each composition by the performer himself--a scene where music is integral to the fiction being presented. The effect is almost like Scott Joplin appearing in the Family's living room, much as Houdini does earlier.
ReplyDeleteThis was a really cool deep dive into a topic within the novel I hadn't considered too much! It's interesting that the references you mention earlier on in the novel are mostly more old-fashioned European classical music, since we get this musical shift when Coalhouse enters the plot to the modern and distinctly African American genre of ragtime. I think this is an extension of the power you discuss of music to set the tone of the story--here, the musical shift feels like it signifies the "new world" Coalhouse brings into the New Rochelle family's bubble.
ReplyDeleteI completely skimmed over these when I read the book, but it's amazing how Doctorow was able to add an entire extra layer of detail to the book in this way. Of course music and art is an important theme throughout the entire book (see: the title), and Doctorow's careful choice of a 'soundtrack' accentuates this.
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