What does that actually mean? Socialism comprises a range of economic and social systems. The central ideas of socialism include social ownership, which places ownership of the means of production (facilities, machinery, tools, capital) with the public or with employees of a certain enterprise, and democratic control of the means of production, which places autonomy over working conditions, leadership in the workplace, and day-to-day operations back in the hands of the workers. Socialist political movements are primarily directed against the social and economic problems wrought by capitalism, problems that socialists such as Tateh would have felt on a regular basis.
Anarchism is a political philosophy that advocates self-governed societies organized into voluntary institutions. Anarchism believes the state, as well as other authority or hierarchical organization, to be unnecessary and harmful. Like socialism, there are many strains of anarchism, the most common being social anarchism (or socialist anarchism), which shares a strong belief in community and social equality with socialism.
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Reitman is mentioned in Ragtime as being one of Emma Goldman's lovers. He was a well-known anarchist and physician to the poor. He was known as the "hobo doctor", offering services to hobos, prostitutes, the poor, and other outcast. He performed abortions, which were illegal at the time. This is what Goldman had to say about Reitman in her autobiography: He arrived in the afternoon, an exotic, picturesque figure with a large black cowboy hat, flowing silk tie, and huge cane. "So this is the little lady, Emma Goldman," he greeted me; "I have always wanted to know you." His voice was deep, soft, and ingratiating. I replied that I also wanted to meet the curiosity who believed enough in free speech to help Emma Goldman. My visitor was a tall man with a finely shaped head, covered with a mass of black curly hair, which evidently had not been washed for some time. His eyes were brown, large, and dreamy. His lips, disclosing beautiful teeth when he smiled, were full and passionate. He looked a handsome brute. His hands, narrow and white, exerted a peculiar fascination. His finger-nails, like his hair, seemed to be on strike against soap and brush. I could not take my eyes off his hands. A strange charm seemed to emanate from them, caressing and stirring... Goldman called her passionate love affair with Reitman the "Great Grand Passion" of her life. They lived and traveled together for almost eight years, campaigning in favor of birth control, free speech, women's rights, and anarchism. They traveled to San Diego for the free speech fight in 1912-1913. While Goldman spoke on free speech, Reitman was kidnapped, tarred and feathered, branded with "I.W.W", and his rectum and testicles were abused. Years later, the couple was arrested under the Comstock Act for advocating for birth control, and Reitman served six months in prison.
Both Goldman and Reitman believed in free love, but Goldman became jealous when one of Reitman's lovers became pregnant. Their relationship ended in 1917 after Reitman was released from prison. In Ragtime, Younger Brother has a drawing of Charles Dana Gibson's "Women: The Eternal Question" pinned up in his room. Gibson is credited with the invention of the "Gibson girl" in 1890, a new standard for women as depicted in his drawings. The Gibson girl was taller than most other women, bold and independent while still feminine, poised and well-bred while still mischevious. Gibson's drawings were a feature of Life magazine for thirty years.
There were not many profile shots of Nesbit at the time, but based on the comparisons above, we can safely assume Gibson used Robert Eickemeyer Jr.'s photograph as reference for his famous drawing. Scholar Paula Uruburu notes that Nesbit also sat as a model for Gibson in person at least once. Evelyn had become an artist's model as early as thirteen years old, but her idealization as Gibson girl revealed her beauty to a much wider audience and fanned the flame of her vaudeville career. |
Dramaturgy for the Ragtime musical and novel.© Eliza Pillsbury, 2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Eliza Pillsbury with appropriate and specific direction to the original content. Categories
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