Who Was That Guy?

Through the first eight chapters of E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime several characters have been introduced, some of which are fictional and some of which are true historical figures. The novel has multiple intertwining plots developing which becomes very difficult for the reader to follow at times. It has been challenging to distinguish which characters to focus on and which plots to follow the closest. Doctorow further confuses the reader by continually using pronouns or incredibly general names such as “mother” to refer to characters. Page number nine is a prime example of Doctorow using unspecific language as he refers to Houdini by beginning the following eight sentences with “He was…” or “His…” A plethora of characters are introduced in a miniscule amount of time, there are multiple plot shifts, and characters are seldom referred to specifically. I wonder if all of these factors are strategies Doctorow is using to confuse the reader. Forcing the reader to focus more intensely on following characters and plots could be an attempt to divert attention away from underlying plots. This leads me to believe that Doctorow may be planning a surprise ending.
Overall, I have really enjoyed the novel. I love Doctorow’s writing style and his descriptions. Although the novel has been a bit challenging to follow, the plots are very exciting and interesting to read.