One Drop Rule

In 1705, Virginia passed the first law in history defining who was considered a member of the Black endogenous group. The law used a one-eighth blood-fraction rule; You belonged on the Black side of the color line if you had one or more great-grandparents who had belonged on the Black side of the color line. In addition, the fine for ministers performing interracial marriages was increased even farther beyond reach. This law was the first instance in history of legalized hypodescent. So Pearl in The March is know to be a mulatto. These rules defining race were lessened at one time. Even still I believe it was Louisiana or Mississippi that kept the rule if a person was 1/32 black then they were classified as black. These racist restrictions and oppressions against the Black Community and other non-white races continued till the Civil Rights Movement 100 years after the Civil War and the slaves were freed.

Path of Destruction

This picture shows the descruction of Southern Railways by the Union Army. The key to the Union winning the Civil War was their methodical sufication of Confederate supply lines and resources. The workers would remove the railroad ties and pull up the tracks for miles and miles. Then heat the steel and twist it so it could not be re-used unless melted down.

Sherman's March

Sherman's March to the Sea, as mapped to the left, was and may still be one of the most famous military campaigns in World History. Doctorow's ability to follow such a well recorded time line is a fictional form is amazing. While in his other novels there were actual events and characters involved, The March has to be more focused than anything because of its documented time line. In the photo it is easier to understand why in the story Sherman, Kirkpatrick and other military leaders refer to other companies as being North 50 miles as the left prong. These maneuvers allow the Union Army to out flank the Confederate Army.

Real Life Once Again

Pictured above are photos of Dutch Schultz moments are his death, the Chop House after the shooting, and a photo of Otto Berman.

In the 1930s Berman became the accountant for, and advisor to, gangster Dutch Schultz. In 1935 Berman was having a meeting at the Palace Chophouse tavern in Newark, New Jersey with Schultz and gunmen Abe Landau and Lulu Rosenkrantz when assassins hired by Lucky Luciano burst into the room. Berman was hit by several bullets as well as buckshot from a 12-gauge shotgun, and was the second of the four men to die. A photo of his bullet-riddled body appeared alongside a photo of Schultz undergoing surgery in the next morning's newspaper, under the headline, "Schultz, Five Pals Shot" (in fact, only four others were shot: Berman, Landau, Rosenkrantz, and Marty Krompier, one of Schultz's lieutenants). The accompanying article claimed that Berman was a gunman for Schultz; an angry Damon Runyon quickly submitted an editorial to the newspaper, defending Berman.

*Courtesy of Wikipedia*

Once again Doctorow has used real life and in this case real death in his novel to root his fictional characters in a believable world. This is not to say that stories that aren't believable that don't do this; it just makes it easier to believe and maybe even more enjoyable if you know something of the subject prior to reading.

Freud, Jung , and Bathgate

In "Billy Bathgate" it would be not uncommon to find many different archetypes. Some characters even show two of these archetypes suggesting another one of Jung's philosophies, the duality of man. Billy Bathgate for example could be seen as the Child, since he is the youngest of the gang and only the age of sixteen. Everything to him is that of new experiences. Dutch Schultz could be seen as the Superman or even the Cosmic Man. He is the head of the gang and displays his power and is told through Billy's eyes as a sort of super human man. After his death Billy still considers all knowledge and everything he experienced through being in the gang so Dutch Schultz's presence is still around even though he has died. The Mentor is a rather easy one to figure out. Otto "Abbacadaba" Berman taught Billy Bathgate the ropes and looked out for him as much as possible. Berman tries to teach Billy what to do and what not to do for most of the story. Since Billy's mother is not, shes crazy, altogether the role of the Mother almost becomes that of Miss Preston/Drew/Lulu. When she uses the name Miss Drew she is Dutch Schultz's girl and the governess to Billy Bathagte. She orders his clothes and takes on a motherly role. Although they have a love affair she then is referred to as Miss Preston suggesting the duality of man, Billy Bathgate and Miss Preston become the Divine Couple. Meanwhile Billy Bathgate has sworn to Bo that he will protect suggesting the archetypal character of the Hero. He gets Miss Preston out of harms way at the race track when he calls her "husband." The Jungian philosophy is very apparent in "Billy Bathgate."

Psychoanalytic Critism

Even though Freud's theories are out of date and not really used in the world of psychology, well except for 101, they do often find themselves readily available in the literary world. Carl G. Jung, Freud's most famous pupil, started a theory on the collective unconscious. It is that all people have the same knowledge, experiences, and images stored in their psyche. These memories are stored deep inside everyone in the form of archetypes. When we read literature it might be that Archetypal Criticism is the easiest to see and define. Archetypes are everywhere in every story. In "Billy Bathgate" it would be easy to see that Freud and Jung philosophies weave together and create an A B C Psychoanalytical Criticism.

McCarthyism

McCarthyism is was a time in U.S. Histoy where the government mainly headed by Senator Joesph McCarthy and his Commite used fierce scare tactics against the people of the United States. It was the "Red Scare." Anyone and everyone was suspect to be plotting against the U.S. Government. Hundreds of people lost thier jobs due to suspicion of being a member of the American Communist Party. Even members in the public spotlight were subject to testifying in the senate and or getting blacklisted. Charlie Chaplin, Aaron Copland, Willie Geer, Langston Hughes, Arthur Miller, Robert Oppenheimer, Paul Robeson, Pete Seeger, Orson Welles, and Richard Wright are just a few of the more well know people on the blacklist. Stanlin ruled the Commmunist USSR with an iron fist. Anyone that spoke out against his ideas would be executed. Meanwhile the U.S. Government created the red scare to make people afraid and easliy controlable. Neighbors turned in neighbors and the country was not to far from the conditions of the USSR. The modern day witch hunt continued for along while. In "The Book of Daniel" the Issacsons become victims to this McCarthyism Machine. They are guilty before ever standing trial in the eyes of the American Public.