Ramona Forever

Beverly Cleary

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 1984

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-3

Chapters 4-6

Chapters 7-10

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Symbols & Motifs

Picky-picky’s Tombstone

In Ramona Forever, Picky-picky’s tombstone is a motif for the novel’s theme on The Highs and Lows of Growing Up. Ramona’s cat’s death is a low point for Ramona, who didn’t expect to lose her pet so abruptly. It is also a potentially upsetting event for the young reader, especially given the lack of warning. The novel uses this low point, however, as a means to model the strength and collaboration of the young characters. While Ramona and Beezus are upset about their cat’s sudden passing, they are determined to handle it themselves and not stress out their mother: “‘I guess we should bury him,’ said Ramona, ‘and have a funeral’” (57). Ramona’s stoic suggestion that she and Beezus take care of it themselves shows that she is willing to put her sadness aside and bury her pet without her parents’ help. Ramona’s ability to take action shows her growing maturity and resilience.

It is Ramona’s idea to create a tombstone for Picky-picky’s grave. She produces a wooden board with crayon writing and illustrations honoring Picky-picky. By taking charge of making Picky-picky’s tombstone, Ramona shows her growing independence. The home-made tombstone marks not only the grave of the family cat, but also the end of Ramona’s early childhood, since she can now cope with challenges and tragedy more independently.

The Bridesmaid Dresses

In the story, Ramona and Beezus’s bridesmaid dresses are a motif for the novel’s theme on The Bond Between Siblings. Their matching pink dresses suggest that, being sisters, Beezus and Ramona share many similarities and experiences. Being bridesmaids is another experience that brings Beezus and Ramona closer together, as it is a task they both take very seriously. Their shared perspective makes wearing the dresses for Aunt Bea’s wedding another opportunity for bonding. Ramona and Beezus are both excited to wear their dresses: “Ramona hoped the dresses really would arrive in time as she licked the ice cream running down her arm. She knew Beezus was wishing the same thing” (102).

Later, the girls work together to make sure their dresses are just right for the wedding. When the dresses arrive and do not fit them, Beezus quickly fixes the hems while Ramona reinforces her work: “With flushed cheeks, Beezus basted as fast as she could. Ramona did not trust her sister’s stitches and reinforced her hem with Scotch tape” (114). Once done, the girls help each other dress up, which is a real novelty for them: “Beezus brushed her shining hair and Ramona’s, too. Feeling like princesses, the girls went to show off to their mother, who said they looked lovely” (115). Ramona’s and Beezus’s roles as bridesmaids reinforce their bond as sisters and allow them to support each other on their aunt’s special day.

The Wedding Slippers

The Quimby girls’ uncomfortable formal slippers represent the changes and transformations of childhood, especially toward adulthood. The formal shoes are mini versions of the shoes adults wear. When Ramona and Beezus get ready for their Aunt Bea’s wedding, they realize that they have long grown out of their formal slippers and cannot fit into them anymore: “‘Beezus, my feet are killing me,’ whispered Ramona with tears in her eyes. ‘My shoes are way too short.’ ‘So are mine,’ agreed Beezus. ‘I’ll never make it down the aisle’” (120).

When the girls leave their old shoes behind in the bouquet of rhododendron flowers, it signifies them leaving behind their younger selves as they move forward into a new era. Since growing out of their old shoes, Beezus and Ramona have grown up emotionally as well. For instance, Ramona begins to forgive and forget about Uncle Hobart’s mistakes and focuses on making his wedding to Aunt Bea a success, showing her growing emotional maturity. While these life changes were not easy, the girls can find the humor and positivity in growing up: “Two pairs of slippers danced from the rear bumper. The wedding was over. ‘Funny about those white shoes on the back of the truck,’ remarked Mr. Quimby. ‘They look familiar.’ The girls burst into giggles. ‘They hurt,’ confessed Ramona. ‘They were too tight’” (127-28). By waving their old shoes down the road, Ramona and Beezus show they are ready for a new chapter of their childhoods but, also, that they are not yet ready to embrace adulthood.