Ramona By Helen Hunt Jackson

1. RamonaBy Helen Hunt Jackson Created By: Stephanie Salas Paige Stearmer Valeria Castillo

3. Summary In the book Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson, Ramona is a half indian n orphan that was raised by Senora Gonzaga Moreno after Romona’s foster mother’s death. During that time period, the white European men came to the Americas and were trying to take over the Moreno Ranch. Senora Moreno tried to raise Ramona as if she was part of the family. During the time Ramona was at the Moreno Ranch, Senora Moreno had Indians from Temecula work at her ranch for sheep shearing since her only son Felipe was ill. While the Indian’s were at the ranch one Indian in particular catches Ramona’s eye and falls in love with him , his name is Alessandro. When Senora Moreno found out about Ramona and Alessandro’s relationship. After that Ramona and Alessandro felt that they had to leave the ranch so they could live happily together.

4. Summary They decide to go to Alessandro’s village in Temecula. But when they arrive they see that white European men had taken over the village so they leave and search for a village where they can settle down. Their journey from village to village eventually led to Alessandro’s insanity along with the death of their baby. Ramona was left traumatized by the unfortunate events that she temporary loses her memory and becomes apathetic towards everything. Soon after Alessandro rides off on a stolen horse and is followed by the owner of the horse. The owner shot Alessandro. Meanwhile, Senora Moreno dies. In the end, Felipe, Senora Moreno’s only son, finds Ramona and marries her. Felipe then takes Ramona and their child to live a pleasant life in Mexico.

5. Main Characters • Ramona – A half Indian, half American orphan girl. • Senora Moreno – Ramona’s dead foster mother’s sister. • Felipe Moreno- Senora Moreno’s only son, and Ramona’s husband. • Alessandro- Son of the Chief of the tribe, and Ramona’s main love interest. • Father Salvierderra- The priest. • Pablo Assis- Alessandro’s father and chief of tribe. • Juan Canito – Head Shepard

6. Vocabulary • Vexed- Irritated , annoyed. (Page 4) • Wholly- The whole amount, all, or extent. (Page 11) • Pious- To characterize by hypocritical concern with virtue or religious devotion. (Page 72) • Louts- To bend, bow, or curtsy in respect. (Page 17) • Vespers- The evening star (page 5) • Veranda- A large open porch, that extends normally across the front or sides of a house. (Page 6) A southern veranda

7. About the Author Helen Hunt Jackson was born in 1830, in Amherst, Massachusetts. As a child, Jackson was known for her strong will. After her parents died when she was a teenager, an aunt raised Jackson and her sister. Jackson was educated at the Ipswich Female Academy and then continued her instruction at a school run by John and Jacob Abbott in New York City. She became acquainted with the poet Emily Dickinson during her early years in Amherst and the two remained friends and admirers of each other's work for the rest of their lives. In 1852 Jackson married Lieutenant Edward Bisell Hunt and together they had two sons, one of whom died in infancy. Lt. Hunt died in 1863 following an accident while conducting a scientific experiment, and shortly thereafter Jackson also lost her second son. She was grief-stricken at her loss and eventually moved to Newport, Rhode Island. It was here that she began her lifelong association with the literary world. She began attending meetings of local and visiting writers organized by Thomas Wentworth Higginson.

8. About the Author cont… Her contact with these writers and intellectuals rekindled an interest in life and she began writing to support herself financially. In 1870 Jackson issued her first collection of poetry, titled Verses. After several years in Newport, Jackson traveled to the West in the early 1870s. In 1873, following an illness, she went to Colorado to recover. There she met and married William Sharpless Jackson in 1875. The two had no children, but Jackson was soon consumed with what became her life's crusade. Following a lecture on the suffering and dispossession of Native Americans, Jackson developed an intense interest in their cause and began writing letters and articles on the subject. She devoted the remainder of her life to improving the conditions of Native Americans and exposing the injustices heaped upon this marginalized group. Despite her popularity and acclaim as a poet and children's author, Jackson herself considered A Century of Dishonor and Ramona, two works that reflected her concern with the Native American cause, her own best legacy. Finally after suffering for several years from an unknown illness, Jackson succumbed to stomach cancer in 1885.

9. Cultural Impact • The popularity of the novel inspired people to name schools, streets, freeways and even towns after the novel's heroine. The romantic settings included in the book had many people wanting to see the these spots that appeared in the story. This coincided with the opening of Southern Pacific Railroad's Southern California rail lines and created a tourism boom. One location that is the most popular tourist attraction related to Ramona is Rancho Camulos. Rancho Camulos is considered the “Home of Ramona” because it was roughly in the same location of Moreno Ranch.

10. Cultural Impact • The Estudillo House in Old Town San Diego, is considered to be "Ramona's Marriage Place" due to short descriptions of Ramona having been married in San Diego. This location too became a popular tourist spot and remained that way long after the novel's publication. • The novel gave Southern California its own distinctive cultural identity. The missions had recently gained national exposure and local restoration projects were just about to start. Southern California was beginning to open its rail road lines and combined with the emotions built up by the novel. The novel helped the region greatly in becoming popular and improving in many ways.