Some Fictional and Historical Reflections

Does knowing that something is fiction or history change how I see a novel or story? When we were first discussing the relationship between history and fiction in class and the prospect of knowing  whether or not an event or character is "real" or "made up" I did not think that this knowledge would make much of a difference for me. However, now that I am more aware of this debate, I think that knowing that an event actually occurred can make a huge difference it is viewed.

During this years student productions, one of the plays was a musical about the dutch tulip mania. One of my family members saw the performance and thought this play was nice, but did not realize that the tulip mania was a historical event. While the story was creative and clever in itself, upon learning about the actual tulip mania, my family had a much greater respect for the musical. At this point, I realized that knowing something "actually happened" does indeed make a difference in my appreciation of the story.

I have greatly enjoyed E. L. Doctorow's Ragtime thus far, but while reading this novel and taking into consideration the historical and fictional elements, I have come to question the novel more than I might if I knew for certain which aspects were fictional and which real. Doctorow does such an excellent job blending the fiction with the history that it is not always clear what actually happened. For example, the character of Coalhouse Walker is fictional in that no person with his name and background ever existed in this world. To me though, this character seems more real and human than many of the characters in the novel. Perhaps it is in part because his views and behavior are more strongly aligned with that of current times that I find him more sympathetic. But then again, another factor contributing to my sympathy is certainly that I know of "pranks" in history of the same nature and caliber as the one "pulled" on him. 

At first I was disappointed when I did a google search on Coalhouse Walker and discovered that he only exists in Ragtime but after further consideration I realized that it makes sense for Doctorow to have created this character. In history, there has only ever been one Harry Houdini; no one else in history even comes close to comparing to Houdini and the art he created, fame, publicity, attention, and awe that he received. Even today Emma Goldman is the face of anarchy. Who doesn't know about the one and only J.P. Morgan. Ford invented the assembly line. All of these historical figures that Doctorow draws upon are well-known for something that they (and only they) have done. There have been one of each of them whereas there have been many Coalhouse Walkers to walk through the early 20th century. In not utilizing one particular history of a situation similar to Coalhouse Walker's, Doctorow allows Coalhouse to represent all of the colored people who were treated in such a disturbing manner.

Knowing what is historical and what is fictional does make a difference in how I view the given situation. Oftentimes I find historical characters in a novel more compelling, but Doctorow has impressed me by showing that sometimes knowing something is fictional can make it all the more powerful.