Ragtime

by

E. L. Doctorow

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Ragtime makes teaching easy.
Ben Reitman is a historical character who crosses paths with Younger Brother in the offices of Emma Goldman’s Mother Earth publication. Reitman is an anarchist and one of Emma Goldman’s lovers. He underwent a violent and traumatic kidnapping attempt while he and Goldman were protesting for free speech in San Francisco, which he describes to Younger Brother and others.
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Ragtime PDF

Ben Reitman Character Timeline in Ragtime

The timeline below shows where the character Ben Reitman appears in Ragtime. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 22
Replication and Transformation Theme Icon
Freedom, Human Dignity, and Justice Theme Icon
...headquarters of Emma Goldman’s Mother Earth magazine. One night, a youngish man (later identified as Ben Reitman ) calls him inside, thinking him a police spy. When Goldman enters the room, on... (full context)
Replication and Transformation Theme Icon
Freedom, Human Dignity, and Justice Theme Icon
...to Goldman. But she’s too busy with her guests and other comrades. Brother watches as Ben Reitman —her current lover, as it turns out—hands out punch and listens as he describes a... (full context)