59 pages • 1 hour read
The Squatter and the Don
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Summary and Study Guide
Overview
The Squatter and the Don (1885) is the most famous literary work by Chicana writer Maria Amparo Ruiz de Burton. Scholars have recognized the novel, published under the pseudonym C. Loyal (a variant on Ciudadano Leal or Loyal Citizen that elided the author’s gender), as a significant entry into the Latinx-American literary canon, as well as an important narrative of the Californio population in the late 19th century. The novel addresses the role of ethics in the law, racist prejudice, and sentimental ideologies.
This guide is based on the 2021 Mint electronic edition of the text.
Content Warning: The source text references racist policy, rhetoric, and violence (including allusions to chattel enslavement), sexist attitudes, animal death, gun violence, and possible death by suicide.
Plot Summary
In 1872, William Darrell leaves his home in Alameda, near San Francisco, for San Diego, where he plans to “settle” lands (a contrast to “squatting” on lands that were legally in dispute after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo). His wife cautions him that she will not live on lands that have not been legally purchased. In San Diego, meanwhile, Unlock all 59 pages of this Study Guide Plus, gain access to 8,900+ more expert-written Study Guides. Including features:
