Coalhouse Walker - Ragtime

The introduction of Coalhouse Walker into the novel dramatically shifts the course of the novel, allowing the author to explore the realm of race and the revision of common social behaviors. In turn, this shift alters the perspective of the characters towards people of color.

Walker is first introduced at the start of Chapter 21, looking for Sarah with a sense of self-importance. Doctorow even states, "there was something disturbingly resolute and self-important in the way he asked her if he could please speak with Sarah" (Doctorow 156). What could be so disturbing about a black man having a sense of self-importance and firmness of character?  The family, especially Father, seems to perceive that Walker is stepping out of his "assigned place" in society. The idea that escaping social normality is a reckless behavior scares Father, so much so that he deems that Coalhouse Walker probably doesn't even know he's black. His formalities and general demeanor irks Father, and he expresses these concerns when he says, "There is something reckless about him. Even Matthew Henson knew his place" (Doctorow 162). Father refers to the black explorer who joined him on the Peary expedition; one that apparently "knew his place" in society and stayed there. In comparison, Father describes Walker as "reckless" since he does not seem to act or talk like a black man from Father's perspective. Although Father describes Walker like this, he is nothing but. Walker continually conducts himself with dignity and poise, harboring respect for others and expecting people to treat him with respect in the same way. The only thing "reckless" about Walker's behavior is his animosity towards the way white society deems a black person should act around white people. How Walker expects to be treated directly conflicts with how whites think he should be treated, ultimately leading to conflict between the two groups, resulting in the violence we see at the end of the Part II. 

On a different note, it's difficult to say where Coalhouse Walker would be placed on the history and fiction scale. Is he more from the fictional frame or the historical frame or does he spill into both? Generally, Doctorow seems to abandon individual identity and construct his fictional characters as representations of a greater group. Examples of fictional characters with this trait include Father, Mother, and virtually their entire family. Despite his individual identity, I believe that Walker is a piece of fiction (or maybe a piece of fiction derived from historical substance). While he still seems to represent the rebelling African-American male in society, his own sense of self seems to spell out a fictional path. Another one of these fictional characters with a name is Sarah, another black member of society. This might suggest that Doctorow is pulling his focus away from white society, and centering the novel around black characters in the novel. In this way, the development of Walker's character (and the background characters around him) in Part II is a pivotal moment in the story. 

At the end of Part II, Coalhouse Walker's character leaves us with a lot of questions after he attacks the fire station out of a sense of vengeance-like justice. Is this kind of revolutionary violence justified in the name of equality? Is violence ever justified? Who really benefits from this kind of violence? These questions are not only directed towards Walker but also the type of society who believes in standing up for one's rights no matter the cost. Walker is now a representation of society and the justice that follows societal inequality.