Mariia Shapurko, 412

Philological analysis

“Ragtime”

By E.L. Doctorow

The text under analysis is taken from the novel “Ragtime” written by E. L.
Doctorow - rather popular American writer, widely known for his unique works of
historical fiction. “Ragtime” also belongs to this genre.
The setting of the novel is the New York City area. It depicts actual events of the
beginning of the 20th century. The story is written in the third person narration (“While
Sarah served, Father told her...”, “Mother said…”). The narrator is unobtrusive as he
doesn’t interfere and doesn’t show his opinion. The general atmosphere of the abstract is
weird and rather intense. The extract describes the conversation at the family’s dinner
table. They were discussing Negro’s desire to have his property restored. Here, we can see
the problem of people’s attitude towards Negroes. Especially, it can be clearly seen when
Father stated that the car problem emerged just because the man was a Negro (“It seemed
to be his fault, somehow, because he was Negro and it was the kind of problem that would
only adhere to a Negro.”).
The extract can be divided into three parts: a description of the family atmosphere, a
little quarrel between family members and a conversation of Sarah and Young Brother.
The whole abstract is written in simple language, the author mostly uses common literary
words.
There are some monosemantic words such as redness, fiancé, condone, arson,
mayhem. The author uses a lot of polysemantic words like fault (1. an unattractive or
unsatisfactory feature, especially in a piece of work or in a person's character;
2. responsibility for an accident or misfortune (used in the extract)), name (1. a word or set
of words by which a person or thing is known, addressed, or referred to (used in the
extract); 2. a famous person). In the extract we can find different structures of the words:
simple (table, name, truth) derived (foolish, monumental) compound (centerpiece,
somehow) compound-derived (outraged, firehorses).
Such words like brother, father, mother, baby make up a semantic field of family
members. The story takes part in the kitchen so the thematic group of words “Kitchen” is
presented dinner, table, kitchen, filet, a serving tray, dining room. The vocabulary of the
extract is mostly neutral (happen, period, important, fault, condition, problem, marry).
The tone of the story is formal but the syntactical pattern is not too difficult. The
Mood of the abstract is indicative. This extract is written mostly in Past Tenses in order to
describe past actions (“All of this happened over a period of two to three weeks.”). Here is
also used Present Perfect (“You speak like a man who has never been tested in his
principles…-passive) and Past Perfect (“… as when the firehorses had been driven across
his path” – passive). The sentences in the extract are of declarative communicative type.
The author used various types of sentences such as simple sentences (“All of this
happened over a period of two to three weeks”), complex sentences (“It had that breath of
menace wh8ich makes the beginning off the spring so unsettling”; “Father was so
outrages by this remark that he could find no words.”), mixed sentences (“Even at this
date we can’t condone the mayhem done in his cause but it is important to know the truth
insofar as that is possible”).
The smooth flow of the abstract is expressed with the help of alliteration (but it is
important to; Warm Breeze Blew the Window). The author used a great range of stylistic
devices such as metaphors (it had that breeze of menace which makes the beginning of
spring unsettling) epithets (a foolish thing, unreasonably warm breeze, intemperate
feelings) personification (his monumental negritude sat in front of him). There is also an
example of similes - it seemed like such a foolish thing; negritude sat in front of them like
a centerpiece on the table. The author uses detachment to provide the reader with extra
information (Sobbing she told Younger Brother, who followed her there, that the
preceding Sunday Coalhouse had said…”). The reader can also find an anaphora in the
abstract that emphasizes the situation of Negro’s problem (It seemed like such a foolish
thig to have happened. It seemed to be his fault, somehow, because…”).