The Representation of Class Division Through Houdini

In the book “Ragtime” E.L. Doctorow introduces Houdini as one of the characters. Instead of just portraying him as a mere historical character, Doctorow uses him to demonstrate class conflict. He gives Houdini a purpose other than entertaining crowds with his wild escapes. By writing the encounters that Houdini has with the upper class, Doctorow creates the analogy in which Houdini represents the lower class who can never fit in with the aristocrats, no matter how much money or fame they acquire.

As a real person, Harry Houdini came from very humble beginnings. He was originally born as Erich Weiss, in Budapest, and moved to the United States when he was four years old. Before he has become famous, Houdini he worked at a small circus. At the time, performers were not highly regarded, even if they were highly entertaining. It was only later in his life, when he began doing his escapes, that he become incredibly famous and wealthy. However, despite all of his success, Houdini never really became part of America’s aristocratic class.

This rejection from the aristocracy is incredibly apparent in Houdini’s interactions at Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish’s party. At the very beginning when Houdini arrives, he wasn’t even allowed to walk through the front door. Instead, “the entourage was shown to the trade entrance” (Doctorow 32). This is almost exactly like Coalhouse Walker’s interaction with the family. Instead of going through the front door like most people, he has to go through the back door. It’s like Houdini is forced to remember his humble background. Just like Walker, Houdini still has to abide by these class rules, even though both of them are incredibly successful. It’s like even though they have come so far, no matter what they do, they can never fit in with America’s elite. To add even more disrespect, Mrs. Fish shoves Houdini aside almost like a second-rate act by hiring the Barnum and Bailey. Personally, I think that if you hire top-level entertainment, you should stick with it. You shouldn’t be buying out a ton of them like they’re going out of fashion. By introducing all the freaks, Doctorow has sent a message about societal cliques. You have the super-rich and aristocratic class, and then you have everyone else. At the end of the day, Houdini only interacts with the circus freaks, even though he was paid to entertain the party. “When he felt he had discharged his responsibilities, Houdini rose and told his manage he would not perform for Mrs. Stuyvesant Fish” (Doctorow 34). This shows us that even though Houdini was a world-class act, he will never fit in with the aristocracy. He can only fit and perform for the freaks and lower class. This shows us that there was this huge canyon between the elite and everyone else, and that no one could ever cross it.

I think that Doctorow was trying to send the readers a message. This message was to critique the upper class. He makes them seem so petty and arrogant with his scene with Houdini. He tries to tell us that at the time, there was this huge social divide, and that the people at the top were just flat-out bigots who could never accept that someone who wasn’t born with a silver spoon in their mouth could ever become like them.