39 pages • 1 hour read
Beverly ClearyA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Beverly Cleary penned Beezus and Ramona in 1955, a time marked by traditional values and moral conservativism. However, Cleary did not set out to compose a book about a specific era. Rather, she sought to capture timeless aspects of the experience of childhood in America but positioned them within a sociocultural framework that she knew well. The narrative gives a view of the daily life of sisters who live in a suburban working-class neighborhood, play with their friends, and learn lessons through ordinary daily experiences. Beezus adheres to stereotypical gender roles of the era, such as worrying about manners and choosing sewing as a hobby, but Ramona prefers certain interests Beezus sees as more suitable for boys. Beezus is quiet and demure, exhibiting the characteristics of a 1950s homemaker in training, whereas Ramona is loud, free-spirited, and oblivious to social cues. Beezus’s character keeps the novel firmly rooted in traditional themes, but is it through Ramona’s unreserved impetuousness that the novel provides a broad view of the maturation process. Although Beezus’s character appears quite traditional, she idolizes her Aunt Beatrice, who is presented as a more modern single woman with a career and an apartment.
By Beverly Cleary
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Dear Mr. Henshaw
Beverly Cleary
Henry and the Paper Route
Henry and the Paper Route
Beverly Cleary
Henry Huggins
Henry Huggins
Beverly Cleary, Illustr. Tracy Dockray
Muggie Maggie
Muggie Maggie
Beverly Cleary
Ralph S. Mouse
Ralph S. Mouse
Beverly Cleary
Ramona
Ramona
Beverly Cleary
Ramona and Her Mother
Ramona and Her Mother
Beverly Cleary
Ramona Quimby Age 8
Ramona Quimby Age 8
Beverly Cleary
Ramona the Brave
Ramona the Brave
Beverly Cleary
Ramona the Pest
Ramona the Pest
Beverly Cleary
Runaway Ralph
Runaway Ralph
Beverly Cleary
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Beverly Cleary