Department of English

Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson was an immense success since its first publication in the 19th century. It has been reissued hundreds of times, adapted time and time again to film and stage, and remained consistently in print since 1884. The novel’s influence has been so powerful, in fact, that historian Mike Davis described it as “a romance that generations of tourists and white Angelenos have confused with real history” as it “transformed selected elements of local history into romantic myth.” This One Series course takes up Ramona and its adaptations for film, stage, television, and radio to inquire into how adaptation transforms the myth over time. What are the sociopolitical stakes of film adaptations of Ramona in the first half of the 20th century, and how might these stakes transform by the early 2000s, when Ramona is adapted as a soap opera for television? Alongside Ramona, we will read plays, screen film and television adaptations, incorporate our own fiction writing, and engage with at least one guest speaker as we explore the enduring legacy of Ramona. For the final projects, students will have the choice of a critical essay or creative project. Students will come away from the class with a thorough grounding in arguably one of the most important American novels of the 19th century and a strong foundation for researching across media. No previous experience with 19th century texts is necessary.