Thinking about identity:

In Ragtime we have that scene in which Younger Brother is hiding in the wardrobe watching Evelyn and Emma Goldman and another in which Father looks at himself in the mirror.  Both offer us opportunities to think about the dynamics of identity.  In particular, I'm musing about the interaction of self-perception and the perception of others.  The two episodes in the book don't really illustrate my point; rather the first suggests that other people look at "me" and the second that "I" look at myself.

We've talked some about how identity is imposed from outside and about how individuals and groups assert their identity.  We have not mentioned the importance of others accepting what one asserts.  Here is an example from the book:  Coalhouse Walker asserts that he is a man worthy of respect.  He does this by his clothing and his manners.  Mother demonstrates that she accepts his assertion by inviting him into the parlor and serving him tea.  The firemen who harass him and destroy his car thereby show that they do not accept his assertion and declare that they see him primarily on the base of his race.  The vocabulary is significant.  Father asks for "coon" songs.  Others use the term "nigger."  But elsewhere Coalhouse is identified as Negro, which would have been the polite and respectful term at the time.