Ragtime - Ford and Morgan
What’s up with Morgan and Ford?
Almost all of the historical figures in Doctorow’s ragtime are portrayed as symbolisms. Though they no doubt once held influence, we need to keep in mind how Doctorow brings these historical characters in for the sole purpose of the book. On that note, what would Henry Ford symbolize? I think most of us see how Ford is the embodiment of this technological growth. Though Ford is treated with tons of irony in chapter 18, when Doctorow describes the creation of the Model T with the assembly line with such, almost exaggerated, importance, how “an identical car appeared at the top of the ramp, stood for a moment pointed at the cold early morning sun,” it feels serious. Interestingly, this majestic description is one of the few times in the chapter I feel is authentic. In this sense, Ford is treated with irony yet his assembly line idea is something that Doctorow actually admires.
While I agree that Coalhouse is the main catalyst for the central plotline, Ford’s existence is what allows Coalhouse to even exist. I believe Doctorow knew this, which is exactly why after Ford and Morgan’s appearance, the next chapter we get introduced to Coalhouse. Not only does he literally allow Coalhouse to drive to the family’s residence the Model T represents a changing world. We can tell it’s changing through Father, who is put off by Coalhouse. I argue that Ford’s assembly line is the catalyst to the catalyst. He is by far my favorite character because of this aspect, and part of my favoritism towards him is how he doesn’t interact with the main cast of characters. No other historical character isn’t influenced by the main group, Emma Goldman with MYB, Houdini with the little boy, and even Morgan with Coalhouse’s ransom. Ford seemingly puppeteers this storyline while not even being present.
The dialogue between Morgan and Ford is overall pretty pointless with Ford’s almost belittlement of Morgan’s grand revelations, but we very effectively get a glimpse of Morgan’s character. You can basically immediately tell that Doctorow is having a lot of fun laying on tons of irony whenever Morgan comes up and it’s almost like Morgan is Doctorow’s punching bag for irony, since most of the time he is on the page he is being described pretty ironically. He has his fair share of funny moments, the big one being when he builds up this huge grandiose mission to the Nile, ultimately fails his mission, and the baseball players tarnish his experience even further. Morgan’s kind of like the clown in the book and does seem a little crazy at times, which is interesting considering he is definitely the most influential and successful.
Morgan’s treated with exceptional irony in chapter 19, his entrance. At first glance, the overly illustrative and seemingly overexaggerated descriptions are just another part of Doctorow’s writing, but I think it goes beyond that. In the beginning, I’d argue Morgan is described seriously because he is such an important person in this time period. He’s around his subordinates and we as the reader feel as if we’re there looking through the eyes of the subordinate. He’s more than a man, he's larger than life. It makes the unveiling of Morgan’s personality that much crushing. The instant we get into his head and his thoughts, we almost see that he’s not the man his subordinates think he is. Likewise, when he talks with Ford, who is not his subordinate, he’s treated like a joke. He’s built up just to be broken down later.
I also found how Doctorow treated Morgan to be quite interesting. Doctorow treated the higher class with great irony throughout the early part of the book, and, upon Morgan's introduction, Morgan became the embodiment of Doctorow's discontent with the class dynamics. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYour statement about Ford being treated with a lot of irony due to his appauling lack of humanity is definitely something I agree with. Ford and Morgan are introduced priamrily to move the plot forward and serve no inherent purpose in themselves for the purpose of the story. What I do think they do is serve as a contrast to the more important characters like Coalhouse in showing how his cause holds more importance and severity in the grand scheme. By contrast, the god complex of business tycoons like Ford and Morgan and the problems they face are shown to be insignificant next to Coalhouse's problems, which puts into perspective the racial and economic division of the time, and also reveals which problems Doctorow himself feels are valid.
ReplyDeleteHi Mason, interesting post. I hadn't thought about Ford being a "puppeteer" of the plot, as you put it, but the idea is growing on me. He is by far the most careless character with regards to the rest of the storyline (he certainly cares about his work, but is completely uninterested with involving himself in this mess of a plotline), which makes me think Doctorow is using him to make a point about who truly pushes history forward. The most impactful people care the least about the drama and intrigue of their time, and the most about pushing society forward through any means necessary (Coalhouse definitely falls under this category, but J.P. Morgan and his antics are excluded. He didn't really invent banking or investments, did he?)
ReplyDeleteFord's indirect effect on many of the other characters in the book is something that I hadn't really thought of, but I find it very interesting. I think that his portrayal as someone very concise and distant is written to in contrast to the very exaggerated and eccentric Morgan. I think part of the reason for this juxtaposition is to show the passing of the torch from the huge openly powerful trusts of the 1800's to the equally powerful, but more private corporations of "modern business"
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea that Ford embodies the emerging modernity in Doctorow's bigger picture--and this view is in accord with how he is often treated in histories, with the affordability and accessibility of the Model T being a democratizing force in American society, in this novel enabling Coalhouse to enjoy some upward mobility (angering volunteer firefighters, whose technology is still in the horse-drawn era). And we see a funny/ironic reversal of Ford's ingenious innovation at the end, when Conklin, as punishment, is forced to build a Model T by himself, from the ground up.
ReplyDeleteThere are histories of the twentieth century that cite "Fordism" (mass production and manufacture) as THE decisive cultural and economic shift of the era who consequences we are still living with today. So that moment when the second car appears at the top of the ramp IS arguably one of the most significant historical "events" narrated in the novel. Its consequences are enormous, within and beyond the plot of this book. In contrast to Ford the inventor and entrepreneur, Morgan just moves massive quantities of money around and doesn't produce anything. In some significant respects, Ford is a more democratic figure than the emperor/Pharoah-like Morgan.
I'm intrigued by your idea that Doctorow uses Ford as a catalyst, since it is a totally valid inference. The book intentionally seems to call attention to Ford before we even meet the guy, specifically mentioning that both Houdini and Coalhouse's cars were both Fords. More interestingly, though, is Coalhouse's Model T. The Model T is the first mass-manufactured car produced on a production line, and Doctorow explicitly mentions how Model Ts were built to be "identical" in the text you called attention to. Later on, however, we learn that Coalhouse's Model T was, to a certain extent, customized. I think this symbolizes Coalhouse's departure from societal norms; he's not just another identical early 1900s African American man, nor a replaceable worker on Doctorow's production line. Nice post.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right that Doctorow treats Ford with less irony than Morgan, because Ford's ideas were probably more influential in Doctorow's eyes than Morgan. However, I don't necessarily think this lack-of-irony means Doctorow liked Ford as a person; I think the novel still puts an emphasis on how factory conveyor belts are dehumanizing, despite increasing productivity. Also, Doctorow still makes it clear that Ford is antisemetic in Ragtime, to get another jab at him. Overall, I think Doctorow writes an interesting dynamic of respect towards Ford for revolutionizing society (even if it was in a bad way) and simultaneous judgement for Ford's personal beliefs.
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