JOURNAL ARTICLE

The Books on the Bedside Table: Re-Reading "Mother" in E. L. Doctorow's Ragtime.

  • Published In: Modern Fiction Studies, 2023, v. 69, n. 4. P. 669 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Lambert, Christina J. 3 of 3

Abstract

This essay examines the character of Mother in E. L. Doctorow's 1975 novel, Ragtime , through the lens of the literature that sits on her nightstand: an antisuffragist text by Molly Elliot Seawell and a pamphlet about family limitation by Margaret Sanger. Mother's character stands with one foot in the world of radical feminism and another in the milieu of antisuffragists. This context reframes her interactions with marginalized figures in the narrative and undermines her supposedly happy ending. Reading Mother in view of these texts makes her a dynamic character in the novel, revealing her inner life and agency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Modern Fiction Studies. 2023/12, Vol. 69, Issue 4, p669
  • Document Type:Literary Criticism
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0026-7724
  • DOI:10.1353/mfs.2023.a915961
  • Accession Number:174424670
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Modern Fiction Studies is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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