Critical Discussion Surrounding E.L. Doctorow’s Ragtime by Joseph Volk, Point Loma Nazarene University
Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries especially, narratives of human progress have been increasingly presented in terms of acceleration in a phenomenon testifying to what can be termed “the ecstasy of speed.†In considering, unpacking, and interrogating such ecstasy, we investigate the ways in which individuals and cultures seek to rush towards the beyond of present realities.