Ramona and Her Mother

“‘When will they be here?’ asked Ramona Quimby, who was supposed to be dusting the living room but instead was twirling around trying to make herself dizzy.”

The novel opens with the image of Ramona spinning around, looking forward to the party ahead. The tension between her responsibilities and her impulses is already present, though she appears lighthearted and excited.

“[I]f she gave Willa Jean a present today, she would not only have the fun of giving, but of knowing the grown-ups, would think, Isn’t Ramona kind, isn’t she generous.”

Ramona displays a complex thought process as she decides to give Willa Jean a gift. She has internalized the notion that giving is better than receiving, but she is also aware that giving the gift will make her look grown-up to the adults—Willa Jean is basically an afterthought.

“Even though she felt she should be outgrowing bears, she longed to hold that bear, to put her arms around him, hug him close and love him.”

Ramona is torn between her childlike impulses—snuggling a plush bear—and her self-consciousness that tells her she should be “outgrowing” that kind of thing. She judges herself against an abstract but powerful standard, articulated as the “should be.” This is a standard that, importantly, comes from Ramona herself and not anyone telling her what to do. In many ways, Ramona judges herself more harshly than others do.