Why are women in Ragtime attracted by girls?
Ragtime features women who find themselves strongly drawn to other, often younger, female characters–Mother to Sarah, Evelyn to the Little Girl, and Emma Goldman to Evelyn. This drives them to help these girls to the best of their capacity, which comes in various forms: Mother taking in Sarah and her son, Evelyn mothering the Little Girl, Emma taking off Evelyn’s corset, and opening her eyes to freedom. The level of love and care that these women express exceeds reactions to simple pity, especially when considering the intensity of emotions and the personal sacrifices that encompass their actions. This got me interested in answering the why: what would have led these women to develop such a strong bond with the girls, who were complete strangers to them until they first met? Perhaps it is companionship. In all three cases, the women are revealed to share similarities with the girl that they are attracted to. For instance, Evelyn and the Little Girl are both isolated and lonely. Evely