Beezus and Ramona

“Beatrice Quimby’s biggest problem was her little sister Ramona.”

The author begins the novel with a straightforward address to the reader. This first sentence establishes the central conflict, the protagonist, and the antagonist in a clear, succinct way designed to be intriguing, relatable, and engaging for the young reader.

“Beezus felt that the biggest trouble with four-year-old Ramona was that she was just plain exasperating."

Beezus and Mrs. Quimby repeat the word “exasperating” many times throughout the novel to describe Ramona. The words mean that one highly annoys or agitates another person to the point of exhaustion. While the word might be used to describe the behavior of anyone at times, it perfectly encapsulates Cleary’s characterization of young Ramona. No longer a toddler but not yet a child, Ramona feels that she knows a lot about the world around her and longs to exert her independence over any authority.

“Because she was named after Aunt Beatrice, Beezus felt like she might be like her in other ways too.”

The author establishes a strong connection between the protagonist and her namesake aunt early in the narrative. Beezus’s love for Aunt Beatrice is a through line to the end of the novel but also becomes an important way that Beezus comforts herself when she is feeling sad or emotionally conflicted over her feelings for Ramona.