In five pages this paper presents a review of the novel as a consideration of the real life 'Century of Dishonor' and reveals how political change can be initiated through a fictional premise. There are no other sources cited.
Name of Research Paper File: AM2_PPramona.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Hunt Jacksons "Ramona" traverses ground far beyond its outward appearance of a love story. The novel is Jacksons effort to attract attention to the plight of the Native American
in the light that her more serious efforts had failed. Jackson had previously authored a documentary, "A Century of Dishonor", on the situation faced by the Ponca Indians in
regard to their Nebraska lands. Despite the fact that she had mailed a copy to every U.S. Senator, her efforts had gone largely unnoticed. "Ramona", however, would meet
with a different success. This novel would bring the issues surrounding the Ponca, their interrelationships with the U.S. government, and their lands to the minds of the American public
in general. "Ramona"s success was astounding. Indeed, it is considered one of the greatest propaganda novels of the nineteenth century. To
understand its success, however, we must keep several key facts in mind regarding the status of the Native American in the United States at the time of the novels publication.
The first of these facts is that the Native American was not even considered a U.S. citizen until 1924. Indeed, during the nineteenth century they had been regarded
as little more than an obstacle in the American quest for land and its resources. Even more disturbing, the Native American was considered something less than human.
Jacksons fiction clearly distinguishes the main issues surrounding this early period in Native American/U.S. relations. Her heroine, Ramona, has been raised in the privilege
of wealth. Her adoption by a influential white family has hidden her Native American ancestry. She is, in fact, half Native American and half Scottish. This fact