Ragtime Chapter Summary & Analysis - Part 1, Chapters 9 and 10 Summary

Part 1, Chapters 9 and 10 Summary

Back in New Rochelle, Mother broods over Father's absence as part of the Peary expedition. She also ponders the behavior of her younger brother, who has recently left for New York City without any explanation. Strolling in her garden to think about her life since marrying Father and moving to New York from Ohio, Mother comes across a half-buried Negro newborn child. Mother's screams send the maid running outside, and the two women clean the child and wait for the doctor, who proclaims that the baby will live.

The police are also summoned, and they conduct a neighborhood search, which reveals the child's mother, a mere girl herself, cowering in a neighboring basement. The doctor and the police agree that the girl should be taken to the police station and criminal charges filed, but Mother intervenes to rescue the girl and the baby, who are quickly installed in a room...
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