Crime of the Century

Evelyn Nesbit. Evelyn Nesbit. Coming from the musical, I never would have expected to like her in the novel, or to even feel sympathy for her. But I do. It's strange since because of the musical background I had towards Ragtime, I assumed that Evelyn Nesbit would be just like her stage counterpart:flighty, and only interested in fortune and fame. Instead, I came across a young, vulnerable woman, who had been taken advantage by not only the men in her life, but all the men of America. Evelyn Nesbit was a sex symbol, a picture in profile asking an "eternal question" and nothing more. Men gaped at her beauty. The press savored her testimonies in court. Evelyn no longer was herself, instead she had become this ideal, this trademark beauty, ruined by lust and madness. I never saw this in the musical, and the song "Crime of the Century" obviously shows why.

The entire song is a farce. It takes place as a vaudeville number, complete with dancing girls and yes, Evelyn Nesbit on a velvet swing. You can tell right away the difference in tone and character the musical takes by hearing Evelyn's "Wheee!" It's silly, airy, and of little to no substance. The entire song is! It tells the story of Evelyn Nesbit, Stanford White, and Harry K. Thaw(and also shows Younger Brother's care for Evelyn but in a much cleaner fashion), but in such a way that it doesn't seem serious at all. This was a murder, people! Not a vaudeville number! But that's what the musical makes it out to be, and that's how the musical Evelyn acts. Look at some of the things she sings, "Harry's in trouble and Stanny's in Heaven and Evelyn is in vaudeville/gets publicity!" Does this remind you at all of the woman touched by Tateh and his Little Girl? No, I didn't think so. This Evelyn would never venture near the tenements on the Lower East Side, nor would she associate with Emma Goldman. All the Evelyn in the musical "Ragtime" cares about is publicity, fortune, and fame, and she relishes every waking moment of it.

Evelyn in the novel does not seem to enjoy her participation in the trial at all. Perhaps it's just the detached narration, but I get the feeling that Evelyn does not wish for the fame the trial is bringing her at all. If anything, she wants to get away from Harry and their relationship and all. Testifying for him in court is definitely not getting her away from him. I just, I really feel like Evelyn in the novel is a much more sympathetic character, mainly because her situation is not presented in a farcical vaudeville number, but instead in plain narration (detached or not) that makes Evelyn not a symbol for the press, but instead a woman. A young woman affected by circumstance, but who still cares and indeed cares for things above and beyond fortune and fame. In the novel, we see a woman who can, and in fact does, love. I don't see that in the musical Evelyn. Maybe that's the main difference between the two. Love. Compassion.

I see two completely different Evelyns here, the novel one and the musical one, and who can say which one is more accurate? The actual historical Evelyn Nesbit probably falls somewhere in between the two! But we may never know. We have Evelyn on the swing, and Evelyn with Emma Goldman, and these two Evelyns are so different from each other, and yet they are still the same person.

Creative interpretation is a wonderful phenomenon.