Ragtime and the Prevalence of Racism in the Early 1900s “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” - Martin Luther King Jr. In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, and only 7 years later, E.L. Doctorow published the novel Ragtime. One of Ragtime’s main themes is a social commentary on the racism of the early 1900s. In the passage on pages 76 and 77, in chapter 10, of Ragtime, Doctorow uses characterization, diction, symbolism and imagery to illustrate the dreary racism of the early 1900s and to foreshadow the less racist days to come. In the early 1900s, racism was abound, and Doctorow displays this using characterization and diction. Father, the archetypal middle class white man, struggles with life in the Arctic. However, Matthew Henson, the first African-American Arctic explorer, is thoroughly competent, “He [Henson] knew how to drive the dogs almost as well as an Esquimo,”(Doctorow 77). Doctorow uses a comparison to display that Henson’s abilities are certainly above the minimum, and perhaps he is one of the most skilled of the expedition. Doctorow continues to prove Henson’s abilities using cataloging, “...he knew how to repair sledges, build camps, he had great physical strength and boasted many skills” (Doctorow 77). He used cataloguing since the repetition helps the reader internalize Henson’s abilities and feel, not just