Little Boy vs. American Dream

The American Dream of a nice house with a white picket fence and an average of 2.5 kids. While the family in Ragtime doesn't have 2.5 kids, they still do follow the guidelines of the American Dream. The American Dream is one that emphasizes stability. However, this vision of stability is challenged by the little boy, who focuses on change. In one instance, the little boy listens to a record over and over again, almost as if he were expecting to hear something different eventually. In another instance, the little boy looks at his reflection in a mirror, noticing every change, no matter how minuscule, and "gaze at himself until there were two selves facing one another". The little boy would also stare at statues, noticing how each time he looked at a statue, the colors would be slightly different or pieces would be missing. The little boy is the best character to use because, as a child, he's bound to be more open minded than the other characters in the book who are adults. As a child, the little boy's the one that will look at the world in amazement and questions everything he sees. He's the one that won't just sit back and accept things the way they're told to him, he'll be curious. This is why I think Doctorow used the little boy as the one to challenge the American Dream of stability. He's a child, which makes it realistic and probable for him to not just sit back and accept what he's told.