Ramona By Helen Hunt Jackson Essay

In Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson the main theme is man vs. man, as the title character faces much bigotry and abuse because of her heritage. We can see this bias very early on in the story, even before Ramona is introduced: “The people of the United States have never in the least realized that the taking possession of California was not only a conquering of Mexico, but a conquering of California as well; that the real bitterness of the surrender was not so much to the empire which gave up the country, as to the country itself which was given up. Provinces passed back and forth in that way, helpless in the hands of great powers, have all the ignominy and humiliation of defeat, with none of the dignities or compensations of the transaction.” The Americans had conquered California, as well as Mexico. In doing this,
Although Ramona is half Native American, she is rejected by society because of this relationship. The two elope together, resulting in many examples of the novel’s conflict. This includes their daughter’s death, since the doctor refused to visit their homestead. The climax of this conflict is Alessandro’s death. He has slowly been loosing his mind, due to the humiliation he has experienced from the bigotry. One day, he steals an American’s horse. The American promptly shoots, and kills him, despite Alessandro’s known mental issues. This is clear evidence of the prejudice against the Native Americans - the American would have spared Alessandro, had it not been for his race. The widowed Ramona and her remaining daughter eventually return back to her home ranch, where she attempts to make her life anew. Ramona’s story, and her great tragedies, are fine examples of the effect of racial prejudices. In Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson we see a strong conflict of man vs. man, as the characters must suffer through great racial