Genre
Novel
Setting and Context
Southern California, late 19th century
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person omniscient narrator
Tone and Mood
Nostalgic and critical
Protagonist and Antagonist
Ramona is the protagonist. Gonzaga Moreno is the antagonist.
Major Conflict
Ramona’s desire for erotic love and family in the backdrop of racism white settlers’ punishing subjugation of Native-Indians.
Climax
The disastrous demise of Ramona’s and Alessandro’s child.
Foreshadowing
N/A
Understatement
The doctor understates the value of the Native Indians because he deems then naturally poor people: “Tell him no man of any color could pay me for going sixty miles!”
Allusions
Allusions to history: Colonialism in Mexico and the Mexican-American War.
Religious allusions such as confessions made to Father Salvierderra.
Imagery
Bigotry towards the Native Americans is omnipresent.
Sheep-shearing portrays the economic import of sheep.
Paradox
Gonzaga Moreno sanctions Catholicism and prejudice towards the Native-Americans concurrently.
Parallelism
N/A
Metonymy and Synecdoche
‘Senora’ denotes Mrs.
Virgin denotes Jesus’ mother.
Personification
Dogs are personified when Ramona equates white men to “dogs Of the white color!”
