To what extent does the era in which Ragtime was published influence its narrative and themes? How might the social and political events of the radical 1960s be connected to Doctorow’s 1974 novel?

Why do you believe Doctorow decided to title his novel Ragtime? What might he have been trying to communicate through this title?

Why do you think Evelyn Nesbit ends her friendship with Emma Goldman and her relationship with Mother’s Younger Brother, despite how close they all became? What is Nesbit’s character arc, and what does it suggest about Doctorow’s view of women?