Ragtime

Mother’s Younger Brother wanders around New York City seeking fulfilment. One night, he happens upon Emma Goldman’s publishing offices for her magazine, Mother Earth. He stands outside gazing at the offices for several nights. One day, he is invited in. The Leftists initially believe he is a police spy and is “treated with elaborate irony” before Emma Goldman sees him and tells everybody he is welcome (167). Goldman and her friends bring Mother’s Younger Brother to the Cooper Union building downtown to an event supporting the Mexican Revolution. He stays all night waiting to speak with Emma Goldman. When they are finally alone, they discuss Evelyn. Emma shocks Mother’s Younger Brother by saying she is glad that they broke up, as Mother’s Younger Brother would have expected to marry, which would have destroyed both he and Evelyn. She tells Mother’s Younger Brother that he is better off without her: “‘Why can’t you accept your own freedom? Why do you have to cling to someone in order to live?’” (172). As Mother’s Younger Brother returns to New Rochelle by train, he watches the tracks fly by and considers committing suicide.