Beezus and Ramona

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.