Little Boy is a Postmodern Genius
Little Boy is also an ordinary child. He grows up in an upper-middle-class family in the early 1900s. Left to his own devices, Little Boy embarks on a journey that doesn’t seem to make any sense. He puts the same record on repeat. He watches stuff slide off of tables. He practices narcissism—he stares at mirrors to separate himself. From these experiences, he finally concludes that “the world composed and recomposed itself constantly in an endless process of dissatisfaction” (118). Little Boy’s idiosyncrasies are manifestations of his obsession with change, which naturally reflects the shifting ethnic, political, and economic landscape of his time.
Grandfather isn’t so open to change, a quality best illustrated by his refusal to buy new clothes. He tells Little Boy stories, so-called “images of truth” (116). Naturally, Little Boy doesn’t sit back and accept them for the way they are. He sees these stories as “propositions that could be tested” (116). What Little Boy hears—a mix of what was once the Latin of Ovid and now the English of a senile man—has evolved on multiple levels. Even the stories themselves (probably a reference to the Metamorphoses) are about transformation. From Little Boy’s perspective, multiple perspectives on Ovid blend so that no one stands out over the others. Postmodernism at its finest.
We see a parallel portrait of Theodore Dreiser. His chair “was facing in the wrong direction,” so he repeatedly turns it around in search of the “proper alignment” (26). The choice of Dreiser is fitting. He was a real proponent of naturalism, a movement that aimed to portray reality in its purest form. Thus I see this ridiculous task as a metaphorical shot at modernism: in the modernist spirit of detective fiction, the act of writing pointlessly seeks correctness. Little Boy appears to understand this. On the other hand, Doctorow treats Dreiser with irony - missing the point, Dreiser helplessly wastes the night away.
A child is wiser than a prominent writer. How can we explain this? Why do we need to in the first place? This is just one way of interpreting their perspectives on their world - in the language of postmodernism, one metanarrative. One of many characters woven together from distinct strands of American society, Little Boy holds just one narrative in a sea of perspectives that shapes the world around him. In essence, postmodernist thought relies on this coexistence of equally true narratives.
When fact and imagination overlap in Ragtime, we begin to believe in that idea. It’s impossible to decide on a single accurate sequence of events. There’s no way we can “prove” that something really happened, even if it’s completely absurd. Maybe Dreiser did spend long nights spinning around in circles. History and bullshit become so deeply intertwined in Ragtime that the two become indistinguishable. Little Boy would agree.
Grandfather isn’t so open to change, a quality best illustrated by his refusal to buy new clothes. He tells Little Boy stories, so-called “images of truth” (116). Naturally, Little Boy doesn’t sit back and accept them for the way they are. He sees these stories as “propositions that could be tested” (116). What Little Boy hears—a mix of what was once the Latin of Ovid and now the English of a senile man—has evolved on multiple levels. Even the stories themselves (probably a reference to the Metamorphoses) are about transformation. From Little Boy’s perspective, multiple perspectives on Ovid blend so that no one stands out over the others. Postmodernism at its finest.
We see a parallel portrait of Theodore Dreiser. His chair “was facing in the wrong direction,” so he repeatedly turns it around in search of the “proper alignment” (26). The choice of Dreiser is fitting. He was a real proponent of naturalism, a movement that aimed to portray reality in its purest form. Thus I see this ridiculous task as a metaphorical shot at modernism: in the modernist spirit of detective fiction, the act of writing pointlessly seeks correctness. Little Boy appears to understand this. On the other hand, Doctorow treats Dreiser with irony - missing the point, Dreiser helplessly wastes the night away.
A child is wiser than a prominent writer. How can we explain this? Why do we need to in the first place? This is just one way of interpreting their perspectives on their world - in the language of postmodernism, one metanarrative. One of many characters woven together from distinct strands of American society, Little Boy holds just one narrative in a sea of perspectives that shapes the world around him. In essence, postmodernist thought relies on this coexistence of equally true narratives.
When fact and imagination overlap in Ragtime, we begin to believe in that idea. It’s impossible to decide on a single accurate sequence of events. There’s no way we can “prove” that something really happened, even if it’s completely absurd. Maybe Dreiser did spend long nights spinning around in circles. History and bullshit become so deeply intertwined in Ragtime that the two become indistinguishable. Little Boy would agree.
Great post! First, I really like your use of evidence, as it helps support your arguments. I also like how you focus on Dreiser in the third paragraph. I personally didn't notice the connection between his naturalistic views and the irony of his actions in relation to postmodernism.
ReplyDeleteGreat job! I think your analysis of Grandfather's aversion towards change being reflected in his reluctance to buy new clothes is a connection well made. I also think your view on how realistic writing is pointless in a postmodern perspective is very interesting.
ReplyDeleteThis is really interesting post! I hadn't considered that the descriptions of the little boy showcase this kind of post-modernist philosophy, but it absolutely makes sense! I think you could even see this kind of sensibility as a generational shift—whereas characters like Dreiser and Grandfather (and even Father as well) feel like relics of a bygone era, who watch their loved ones and society continue on into the future without them, the boy grows up in this paradoxical, confusing landscape that Doctorow describes, and is much more a product of it.
ReplyDeleteThis was really fascinating blog post to read - I didn't really pay much attention to Little Boy's character actually but the contrast of his personality and worldview versus that of those around him is pretty reflective of postmodernism. Your analysis of Grandfather's behavior is really cool too, about how he's reluctant to almost move on to the future. Nice job on this post!
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