Ragtime America

I did a little research on Ragtime music, by which I mean I Googled "Ragtime"  and clicked on the Wikipedia link.  I assumed while reading that the musical style of a "Rag"  had a connection with the content of the novel, beyond the fact that Coalhouse Walker played the piano.  However, the book never specifically described the style.  This is what I found, linked at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragtime

"Ragtime is an original music genre which enjoyed its peak popularity between 1897 and 1918.  Its main characteristic trait is its syncopated, or "ragged,"  ryhthm...Ragtime originated in African American music in the late 19th century, descending from the jigs and march music played by black bands.  By the start of the 20th century, it became widely popular throughout North America and was listened and danced to, performed, and written by people of many different subcultures...A distinctly American musical style, Ragtime may be considered a synthesis of African syncopation and European classical music, especially the marches made popular by John Phillip Sousa."  

For a better idea of the style, I have posted a modern recording of what is perhaps the most famous Ragtime piece, "Maple Leaf Rag,"  composed by Scott Joplin, above this post. It is the same piece played by Coalhouse Walker in the novel.   

Indeed, I was correct in assuming a deeper connection between music and novel.  The genre's history suggests that  Ragtime music reflected exactly the "melting pot"  of cultures that America supposedly is.   It took a traditional, canonical style, and added to it a vastly different culture- resulting in distaste at first, but also in unity amongst different people, if only in music taste.  This corresponds to the efforts of Coalhouse Walker to become a part of white American culture, blending his own life into that of his white neighbors.  However, in his case, as well as in the cases of millions of other African Americans and other poor, efforts to become an integrated, accepted part of traditional American society were more "ragged"  than "musical."   Distaste was rampant, and it took much longer than 1918 for the groups to achieve even surface-level integration.  

In truth, I probably should have looked into Ragtime music before delving into the novel.  However, even after finishing the work, I think that little bit of background information adds a significant amount of meaning to the work, and eliminates the thought, "That was a good book...but why in the world was it called Ragtime?"