Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson
"Ramona," authored by Helen Hunt Jackson, is a poignant novel that explores the intertwined lives of Native American and Spanish cultures in early California. The story centers on Ramona, a character of mixed heritage, who falls in love with Alessandro, a mission Indian. Their romance unfolds amidst themes of love, greed, and cultural identity, ultimately leading them to elope. However, the narrative shifts dramatically in the second half, where the couple faces devastating losses as U.S. government policies facilitate the dispossession of Native American lands. This transition highlights the impact of such policies on cultural roots and livelihoods.
Jackson's portrayal of characters like the strong Señora Moreno and the sympathetic Aunt Ri provides a multifaceted view of the cultural conflicts of the time. While the novel romanticizes aspects of life in haciendas and missions, it also aims to evoke empathy and provoke outrage regarding the treatment of Indigenous peoples. Released in 1884, "Ramona" garnered significant popularity, inspiring readers and prompting them to visit locations linked to the story. Although initial enthusiasm waned, renewed interest in the complexities of Southwestern cultures in the late twentieth century has brought Jackson's work back into public discourse. The novel remains a significant commentary on cultural loss and resilience.
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Subject Terms
Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson
First published: 1884
The Work
Ramona is an evocation of Indian and Spanish life in early California. In the first half of the novel, Ramona, who is half Indian, half Scot and who has been reared by a Spanish matriarch, falls in love with Alessandro, son of a mission Indian. After a series of complications in the plot, the lovers triumph and, in the middle of the book, elope. Helen Hunt Jackson sets the common motives of greed, love, and pride in the context of differing ethnic backgrounds, treating the Spanish and Indian cultures with sympathy. For many readers, the appeal of the story lies in its first half, the romance.
In the second half, however, Ramona and Alessandro undergo a series of losses. They lose their land and their dignity, their difficulties leading finally to destruction. These losses occur because U.S. government policy encourages the American settlers to seize land from the Indians, and each removal from the land takes Ramona and Alessandro further from their cultural roots and from their natural sources of sustenance. As a result of these losses, they change from people with a rich cultural heritage and satisfactory material prospects to people with nothing. In this second part, Jackson presents her theme that government policy has systematically dispossessed the Native American tribes.
Two other characters round out Jackson’s picture of conflicting cultures: Señora Moreno, the Spanish matriarch, is a strong character. Aunt Ri, one of the American immigrants, is Jackson’s spokesperson. As Aunt Ri gets to know Ramona and Alessandro, she learns to understand and love them, even coming to their aid. She assails the Indian agent for the wrongs done to her friends and their people.
After Alessandro’s death, Felipe Moreno seeks out Ramona, marries her, and takes her to Mexico where they can have a better life. The novel is rich in local color, depicting a Spanish estate, sheep shearing, and the influence of the Catholic clergy. Although Jackson romanticizes life at the hacienda and in the early missions, the details are sufficiently vivid and accurate that early readers persistently sought to identify the particular estate that had been Ramona’s home.
Written to arouse public indignation at the treatment of the Indians, Ramona was a success. Some readers sympathized with its portrayal of the Indians; some resented its portrayal of Americans as land-grabbers. Readers bought out several printings between 1884 and about 1920. People made pilgrimages to Ramona’s presumed home, and at least three film versions followed. As popular enthusiasm waned, so did critical acclaim. Late twentieth century attention to the three cultures of the Southwest, however, revived interest in Jackson’s novel.
Bibliography
Jackson, Helen Hunt. A Century of Dishonor. New York: Harper & Row, 1965.
Mathes, Valerie Sherer. Helen Hunt Jackson and Her Indian Reform Legacy. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1990.
O’Dell, Ruth. Helen Hunt Jackson. East Norwalk, Conn.: Appleton-Century-Crofts, 1939.