Ramona Forever

“Ramona took a deep breath and announced, ‘Howie Kemp’s rich uncle is coming to visit.’ Except for Aunt Bea, the family was not as curious as Ramona had hoped. She plunged on anyway because she was happy for her friend. ‘Howie’s grandmother is really excited, and so are Howie and Willa Jean.’ And so, to be truthful, was Ramona, who disliked having to go to the Kemps’ house after school, where Howie’s grandmother looked after her grandchildren and Ramona while the two mothers were at work.”

Ramona reveals the latest gossip on Klickitat Street about Howie’s “rich uncle.” This passage shows how Ramona, the youngest child in her family, tries to engage her family members and get some attention at the dinner table. It also reveals that she dislikes Mrs. Kemp, her neighbor and babysitter, foreshadowing their falling out in the novel. The passage is an example of how the third-person narrative voice focuses on Ramona’s perspective.

“Uncle Hobart took the accordion and began to play and sing: ‘Ramona, I hear the mission bells above, Ramona they’re ringing out the song of our love.’ Ramona stared at her book as she thought mean, dark thoughts about Uncle Hobart.”

Ramona is sorely disappointed when Uncle Hobart turns out to be the worst kind of grown-up who teases her relentlessly. This humorous and relatable passage adds to the book’s theme on Children’s Perspectives on Relationships, emphasizing how Uncle Hobart’s teasing is fun for him, but irritating for young Ramona, as the latent threat of these proto-sexual ideas creates fear in Ramona, which she processes as anger toward Uncle Hobart. This passage foreshadows Uncle Hobart’s increasing role as a symbol of adult relationships in the novel.