Ramona and Her Mother

The story picks up at a place in Ramona’s life where she is in the process of growing into middle childhood, taking on more responsibilities, and making more complex decisions. As her sister becomes a teenager, her father begins a new job, and the family adjusts to Mrs. Quimby continuing to work outside the home. These changes challenge Ramona’s understanding of herself, and she searches for her identity in all the chaos. One of the first ways Ramona begins to mature is in her developing sense of self, particularly in her appearance. Before the brunch, she looks in the mirror and is proud of her permanent teeth. Even though those teeth have not yet grown all the way in, Ramona can see them as a promise for the future: “If she had grown-up teeth, the rest of her face would catch up someday” (16). However, when she sees the adults cooing over Willa Jean, Ramona suddenly becomes self-conscious and worries about her “jack-o’lantern teeth” (20). In a relatively short time, Ramona goes from being proud of growing up to comparing herself unfavorably to a toddler, reflecting her sometimes tumultuous inner life—much of which remains unspoken.

One of the key motifs in all the Ramona novels is her quest for independence. However, her efforts are met with varying degrees of success, underscoring children’s struggles as they strive to do things independently but still rely on their parents for support. Deemed too young to sit at the adults’ table at brunch, Ramona is stuck with Willa Jean, who is too juvenile to be a good companion. At times, Ramona feels grown up but still longs for a cuddle with the teddy bear or a comforting bedtime story from her mother. Though she longs to develop an identity separate from her family, Ramona also still desires validation and acceptance, as evidenced by her internal struggle with her relationship with her mother. Ramona isolates herself, often seeking to be different. The book examines how everyday life helps children navigate the transition from childhood to maturation and the often confusing, conflicting emotions they experience as they seek independence from their parents but still retain their childlike emotions.

Ramona experiences many milestones in the story, such as her first salon haircut and learning to write in cursive. She also learns that there are downsides to getting older, particularly when things do not go her way. At times, the downsides are all she sees: “Nobody had to tell Ramona that life was full of disappointments. She already knew” (49). Among those disappointments that crowd in on Ramona at this moment, when she has failed in her attempt to sew pants for Ella Funt, are having to go to bed at 8:30 pm and never getting to see the ends of movies, never having been able to find a novelty license plate with her name on it, and a particularly unrewarding Easter egg hunt. Minor as these examples are, the narrator presents them with sensitivity and without judgment.

However, as Ramona grows older, she must adapt to new situations and responsibilities, such as helping around the house and being more considerate of others. She learns the importance of accountability for her actions and their impact on those around her. Though she’d rather skate or play, seeing her mother’s exhaustion pushes Ramona to understand the importance of completing her chores. After impulsively squeezing out an entire tube of toothpaste, Ramona immediately regrets the decision as she remembers her family’s precarious financial situation. This growing awareness allows Ramona to develop empathy and fully see her actions’ impact on others. By the novel’s end, Ramona regains her sense of autonomy, which is symbolized by the creation of her new sparkly signature. Still, she does so with a new awareness of the need to focus less on herself and become a more thoughtful, helpful family member.