In the early 1900s, the period in which EL Doctorow's novel Ragtime is set, women were expected to be submissive, obedient, and dependent on their husbands . Women were seen as weak, fragile and in need of protection from men. In Ragtime, anarchist Emma Goldman questions the perceived role of women in their chauvinistic society; impacting the lives of characters such as Evelyn Nesbit, a symbol of sex and desire, and Mother, a housewife who begins to find her own identity as an independent woman. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"? Get the original essay Emma Goldman is first introduced to the reader when Evelyn attends Goldman's meeting, where she expresses disbelief at the with regard to the institution of marriage. Goldman compares marriage to slavery, saying it is oppressive to women. She challenges the idea that women are only useful for sex and housekeeping. “The truth is,” Goldman continued quickly, “that women can't vote, they can't love who they want, they can't develop their minds and spirits, they can't engage their life in the spiritual adventure of life, that they cannot, comrades! And why is our genius only in our bellies? Can we not write books, create erudite knowledge, play music? and provide philosophical models for the good of humanity? Must our destiny always be physical? (P54) Goldman's meeting scene marks the beginning of a turning point for women in the novel, because after her? bold ideas about equality have been presented to the reader, we begin to see how Mother changes radically and how Evelyn comes to realize herself Evelyn Nesbit is seemingly the opposite of Emma Goldman and her beliefs. She is the "first." sex goddess”, a “famous beauty” (P4) and represents the sexualized woman in America. Young Brother, for example, practically worships her for her beauty, even though he's never met her. “My mother's younger brother was in love with Evelyn Nesbit... He thought about her all the time. He desperately needed her. (P5) Evelyn uses her beauty to become a prominent figure in society. “There is among us tonight one of the most brilliant women in America, a woman forced by this capitalist society to find her genius in the exercise of her sexual attraction.” (P54) Evelyn was also dependent on the men in her life. After being raped at age 15 by Stanford White, she continues to play the role of his mistress. Evelyn's marriage to Harry K. Thaw was more like prostitution, as Emma Goldman pointed out to her after meeting. “After all,” Goldman continued, “you are nothing more than a clever prostitute. You accepted the conditions you found yourself in and you triumphed. But what kind of victory was it? The victory of the prostitute. And what were your consolations? The consolations of cynicism, contempt, contempt for the human male. (P56) Another example of her marriage amounting to prostitution is Evelyn's visit to her husband in prison, where he uses her for sexual purposes and then gives her money. She is also willing to lie during her husband's trial because they are paying her to do so. “She agreed to testify on his behalf for the sum of two hundred thousand dollars. And the price to pay for a divorce was going to be even higher. » (P26) Evelyn is famous for her beauty, loved by men, cannot break away from her husband and proves Emma's point that marriage can be like slavery. “Because like.