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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Mother insist on doing with the baby and its mother?

2. Who will be speaking at the meeting Evelyn goes to with Tateh and the girl?

3. Where does the story of RAGTIME begin?

4. Why does Father not go to the Pole with Perry?

5. Who was the royal person who came to see Houdini fly his plane?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Tateh notice about The Girl on their train trip.

2. How is Father sent off on his trip with the Perry expedition to the North Pole?

3. What is Evelyn doing with Younger Brother after Tateh and The girl leave?

4. What does Evelyn see when she goes with Tateh to a socialist meeting?

5. What are the lead workers doing as Perry comes leisurely behind?

6. What sight as they sail out of New York Harbor depresses Father?

7. How do the second generation Irish feel about the new immigrants?

8. What are Tateh's plans for him and The Girl as they leave New York?

9. What does the Franklin Novelty Company do with Tateh's books?

10. How does Evelyn lose The Girl?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Coalhouse Walker, Jr., plays Scott Joplin ragtime in the novel. Do some research and write a brief paper about the composer Scott Joplin. Why does Doctorow use the musical genre as the title of his book? To what extent do you think the music of an era defines that era?

Essay Topic 2

Describe the rags-to-riches story of Tateh, aka Baron Ashkenazy. Tateh's story is the embodiment of the American dream--the poor immigrant who eventually achieves success. While you write this account focus on the moral shift in Tateh's thinking. Note the difference in his uptight morality that drove his wife and Evelyn away in the early part of the story and his romping with Mother in Atlantic City as the reinvented Baron Ashkenazy. There are even sexual overtones to the scene where they are searching for The Boy and The Girl and eventually they marry.

Essay Topic 3

Write a paper on the subject of art as seen in the novel. Take it from Tateh's silhouettes to Morgan's collection. Tateh's cutout silhouettes and movie books are art for the people. On the other hand, Morgans fabulous art collection are limited to the upper classes. Tateh's art leads him to film animation and making movies. Morgan's art is nearly destroyed in one quick action. Mother's association with art is limited to putting up Egyptian wallpaper. Your paper should discuss how art influences people and the value of art as an equalizer.

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