Ramona and Her Mother

Mrs. Quimby is Ramona’s mother, and after her husband loses his job (the central conflict of the previous novel, Ramona and Her Father), she gets a job as a receptionist. Even though Mr. Quimby has been able to find a job by the time Ramona and Her Mother begins, Mrs. Quimby decides to keep working. Mrs. Quimby is exhausted by the demands of balancing work and home. Mrs. Quimby’s job means that Ramona must spend her afternoons in the care of Howie’s grandmother, and Ramona misses “the days before her mother had gone to work when the house had smelled of baking cookies or homemade bread on Saturday morning” (38)—an emotion that Mrs. Quimby is clearly aware of even though Ramona tries to keep it to herself.

Although Beverly Cleary wrote the book in 1979, Mrs. Quimby’s struggles as a working mom continue to resonate. Affordable childcare isn’t ubiquitous, so she must depend on the kindness of a neighbor to help care for Ramona. Tense conversations between her and Mr. Quimby, just out of earshot for the kids, reveal the strain of her new career on the family dynamics. Moreover, unlike Mr. Quimby, Mrs. Quimby likes her job, which further adds to the tension in the marriage. The night the hungry family returns home to a raw dinner in the unplugged Crock-Pot is the culmination of many of these stresses, and Mr. Quimby does not improve the situation when he insinuates that it’s his wife’s fault. She responds, “I suppose you think turning on a Crock-Pot is woman’s work” (91-92), not so subtly alluding to her frustration that despite becoming the family’s primary financial support, he still expects her to cook dinner each night. The ensuing argument over their grandmothers extends the tension regarding expectations of the division of labor and gender roles in domesticity. The argument ends in a subversion of gender roles as Mrs. Quimby retires to the living room to read, and Mr. Quimby finishes cooking dinner, suggesting that men should be just as involved in domestic work as women.

Beatrice “Beezus” Quimby is Ramona’s older sister. Beezus is in seventh grade and, throughout the story, exhibits behavior typical of a girl entering adolescence but bizarre from Ramona’s perspective. Beezus is the responsible older sister, a foil to the often impulsive and mischievous Ramona. Beezus is thoughtful and considerate and takes her household chores and responsibilities seriously, whereas Ramona finds ways to dawdle and avoid completing them. Beezus’s growing maturity is evident in her relationships with her parents as she is more aware of their struggles. Beezus tries to be understanding and supportive, even though she may not fully understand her parents’ challenges. Beezus’s close relationship with her mother causes much of Ramona’s internal conflict as she assumes her mother doesn’t love her. Despite her jealousy, Ramona empathizes with her sister, almost to a fault; after the debacle with Beezus’s haircut, Ramona realizes that “she could not bear her sister’s unhappiness” (147). Of course, this reveals more about Ramona than Beezus, who is unaware of the effect she has on her younger sister.

Beezus demonstrates maturity but is a typical teenage girl who struggles with jealousy and adolescent frustration. Often, her outbursts are just as volatile as Ramona’s and end with tears and slammed doors. During Ramona’s emotional outburst over the phone call from Mrs. Rudge, Beezus reveals that she feels overshadowed by her younger sister and struggles to assert her identity in the family. Beezus’s character highlights the complexities of sibling relationships, the value of communication between parents and children, and the messiness of family life.

Willa Jean is Howie Kemp’s younger sister, with whom Ramona must spend every afternoon after school entertaining. Howie’s grandmother watches Ramona since her mom must work, and Ramona resents sacrificing her afternoons to entertain the annoying toddler. When the story begins, Ramona’s family hosts a brunch, and Willa Jean invades Ramona’s territory. It is an unfamiliar sensation, and Ramona springs into action to distract Willa Jean and protect her toys. The adults’ charmed reaction to Willa Jean infuriates Ramona, especially when they compare the precious toddler to younger Ramona. As much as Ramona refuses to admit she was once a nuisance, Willa Jean’s impulsive behavior is vintage Ramona. For example, Willa Jean’s “surgery” on Woger the stuffed bear is reminiscent of Ramona’s baking her beloved doll in the oven in Beezus and Ramona. Observing Willa Jean’s juvenile behavior makes Ramona more self-aware and more determined to act as a grown-up. Tolerating Willa Jean teaches Ramona about patience and the sacrifices everyone must make to help their family thrive.