Doctorow's Use of Irony in Ragtime
In Ragtime, Doctorow’s consistent use of irony serves as a tool for social commentary, specifically emphasizing the disparities between the rich/successful and those who work for them. While characters like Peary and Henry Ford are celebrated and glorified for their successes, the marginalized individuals who are the backbone of their success are exploited and unacknowledged.
When Father accompanies Peary on his expedition, Doctorow displays the ironic nature of Peary’s so-called “discovery” of the North Pole. Before they leave New York, Peary had asserted that “he and he alone was to discover the Pole” (Doctorow 76). While Peary may get the credit and accolades for his “discovery,” it is undoubtedly false that he discovered the Pole on his own. In truth, Peary is entirely dependent on the labor of others. Mathew Henson and the Esquimos do Peary’s dirty work, carrying the sledges, cooking the food, and building igloos, while Peary merely trails behind and gets the glory.
Doctorow highlights this irony throughout Chapter 10, but notably near the end of the chapter, with the termination of Peary’s expedition. Peary suddenly orders the group to a halt and begins to take calculations. He continues this for a long time, walking back and forth while making observations. Finally, Peary essentially says, “good enough,” and announces their arrival at the North Pole: “He couldn’t find the exact place to say this spot, here, is the North Pole. Nevertheless, there was no question that they were there. All the observations together indicated that” (80). By presenting Peary’s discovery as vague and imprecise, Doctorow mocks the illusion of Peary’s heroic exploration.
Yet another example of Doctorow’s use of irony is displayed through his characterization of Henry Ford. Ford is a thriving car manufacturer that figured out how to break down tasks such that his cars could be made efficiently and repetitively. To the public, Ford is thought to be a genius, representing progress, innovation, and the American Dream. However, his invention relies on the brutal labor of millions, who are treated as machines themselves. Ford theorizes that the key to industrial manufacturing is “not only that the parts of the finished product be interchangeable, but that the men who build the products be themselves interchangeable parts” (136). Ford’s innovation gives him a quality reputation and opens doors for connections with important people like J.P. Morgan. However, this comes at the expense of dehumanizing his employees. Doctorow uses this irony to critique the values society holds, in which profit is more important than human well-being.
Doctorow uses irony to exemplify this idea earlier in the novel as well. Describing the current working conditions of America, he writes, “Children suffered no discriminatory treatment. They were valued everywhere they were employed…If there was a problem about employing children it had to do only with their endurance” (40). Evidently, profit and outcome are of higher importance than creating moral working conditions. Doctorow uses severe irony in saying that the problem with employing children lies in their endurance. Through this, he speaks to the larger social issue of the lack of moral values in a for-profit America.
Doctorow's use of irony, many times explicit, conveys larger issues within society. Specifically, he points to the devaluation of the less fortunate and the overglorification of the wealthy and popular.
Nice post Lena. I also found it interesting how Doctorow used a lot of irony to show the vast difference in class, and how the upper class exploited the lower class. While I did get tired of it near the end of the book, I do think it's something that makes Ragtime unique, and your examples of Peary, Ford, and child labor really highlight the social commentary the book contains.
ReplyDeleteThe Peary example is especially interesting to me, as it's one of the only sections in the book where Doctorow is narrating, in detail, a "real historical" moment, the kind of thing that "makes the history books," as Houdini might put it. The photo of the explorers and their American flag, which I shared on my blog, is both mentioned/explicated within the novel AND is the kind of thing that could easily be seen in a traditional high-school American history textbook.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Doctorow's irony is on high throughout this chapter, and he draws out a bunch of implicit critiques of Peary, his methods, his views on indigenous people, and his narcissism. But in some ways I'd say the irony here is directed more toward the traditional conception of history, or that the "discovery" of the North Pole is even a noteworthy "event" that is worth close scrutiny. In the "Great Man" model of history, there wouldn't be a lot of scrutiny, at least of the critical variety: Peary would be depicted as leading "his men" on an intrepid and dangerous quest, which was of course successful. Doctorow's irony doesn't merely skewer Peary the man: we see a view of the slipperiness of history itself, of any kind of representation of the "reality" on a map--the ground is constantly shifting; there is no single "pole"; they know they're "close enough," but they can't actually get there. The reality is more changeable and fluid than the narrative that is passed down in history--so this chapter is "about" traditional history as much as it's "about" Peary himself.
Hi Lena! Really cool post! I find it so interesting how irony is used in this novel. Typically I think of irony as a literary device that is used to convey humor, and nothing more. Doctorow on the other hand takes this idea and COMPLETELY flips it on it's head, using it to convey highly controversial ideas of the time, like race, sex, and social class. But I find it super interesting how he uses it to CRITIQUE these idea, and show how society is flawed and we need to change it.
ReplyDeleteDoctorow clearly does not pull any punches with his use of irony - if his target is the upper class, at least. He doesn't discriminate between real or fictional people either, and like this post says, he arguably subjects real humans to even more of his scathing brand of irony than his own characters. But again, I also agree that his use of irony is not always intended to attack or disparage its targets; rather, it's used to draw attention to, and invite critical thought of, social issues like greed and discrimination. Irony is certainly a difficult topic to write about, but you did a great job regardless.
ReplyDeleteHey Lena! This is an amazing commentary on how Doctorow diminishes the accomplishments of historical figures like Peary through irony, and the overall state and mindset of the world at this time. I find it particularly interesting how he uses irony throughout the book, pointing out specific and unusual things about the world in Ragtime that one might not think about during that time period instead of using it in a funnier context. Great job!!
ReplyDeleteLena, I really liked how you tied Doctorow's use of irony to the idea that society glorifies certain people's successes while completely ignoring the labor that makes that success possible. Your point about Peary's "discovery" being vague stood out to me as a good example of how Doctorow strips away the heroic depiction we're taught to associate with figures like Peary. The Henry Ford point was also super strong with how he utilizes his workers inhumanely, as the cost of his innovative progression. Doctorow's social commentaries on him as a person is really shown through his use of irony. Great blog post!
ReplyDeleteHi Lena!! I really enjoyed your thoughts on how Doctorow uses irony in the book. I also found it interesting how his irony was sort of a vessel for him to write in his own thoughts. I also feel like irony was used as a device to differentiate between real and fictional characters. I found it so cool how he used irony as a literary device of sorts instead of just humor. Great work!!
ReplyDeleteThis is a really great post Lena! I especially appreciated your view on the dehumanization of workers. This topic is very important both in and outside of the novel. Although it takes somewhat of a backseat throughout the novel it speaks a lot to the climate of the time. The social discrepancies between workers and employers is a very important distinction which informs a great deal of the novel's commentary on working class conditions. Thank you for this enlightening post!
ReplyDeleteHello Lena, I think that your blog post does a really good job of explaining the idea of Doctorow's irony relating to social commentary. It's really interesting to see how Doctorow piece's together moments in history to expain social hierarchy. I especially liked how you mentioned Peary's exbidition. Doctorow does a good job of saying that they took the photo and cheered into the wind without being heard. Ironic, and also challenges the expedition's credibility. Good Job!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Lena! I really appreciated how you tied Doctorow's use of irony to the way society glorifies figures like Peary and Ford, while the people who actually make their success possible are ignored. Your point about "Peary's" discovery stood out to me, it shows how Doctorow exposes the emptiness of "achievements" that rely on others' unseen labor. I also liked the way you connected Ford's reputation of innovation to the dehumanization of workers, the workers being treated like exchangeable parts. I think that point is a really good example of irony highlighting exploitation. Great job!!
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