I thought some of you might be interested in this book review of tourism in Southern California and how it was influenced by the novel _Ramona_ and books like it. Carol >H-NET BOOK REVIEW >Published by H-California@h-net.msu.edu (March 2006) > >Dydia DeLyser. _Ramona Memories: Tourism and the Shaping of Southern >California_. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2005. x + >256 pp. Notes, bibliography, index. $18.95 (paper), ISBN 0-8166-4572-8. > >Reviewed for H-California by Casey Wendt, Department of History, >California State University, Sacramento > >Ramona for the Masses > >Intended to serve as an indictment of the oppressive and degrading >treatment of Native Americans in California, Helen Hunt Jackson's >1884 novel, _Ramona,_ reached profound fame and importance, just not >for its intended purpose. The novel failed to ignite concern or >discussion for the Native American cause; however it did create the >fictional character of Ramona. A character Dydia DeLyser credits in >her book, _Ramona Memories: Tourism and the Shaping of Southern >California_, as "the most important woman in the history of southern >California," a woman who has "never lived. Nor has she yet died" (p. >ix). It was Jackson's novel, the tragic love story of Ramona and >Alessandro, that DeLyser argues was responsible for fundamentally >altering how Californians understood their past. The fictional novel >of _Ramona_ served as a type of catalyst in the creation of a new >social memory for southern California (p. 168). > >_Ramona Memories_ seeks to demonstrate not only the importance of >Jackson's novel in the creation of southern California's social >memory, but also the significance of landscape to the social memory >of a region. DeLyser defines landscape in the obvious sense, the >geographic landscape of a region, but also as the smaller elements >of the landscape, the man-made elements. It is the intersection of >fiction, landscape, and social memory on which DeLyser bases her >argument. She contends, "thus, elements from a work of fiction >became factual through the landscape and came to influence the way >residents and visitors in southern California thought about their >past--which is to say, they became part of southern California >social memory" (p. xvi). Challenging scholars who focus on the >importance of the booster to the creation of southern California's >past, _Ramona Memories_ focuses on the primary importance of the >tourists.[1] It was largely the tourists who sought out in the >landscape of southern California real places they could associate >with those portrayed in the novel. DeLyser acknowledges the >important role of boosters and the large profits made from their >overtures, her argument, however, relies on the fundamental >importance she places on the practices of tourists in solidifying >the Ramona myth in the social memory and landscape of southern >California's past. > >Comprising nine chapters, an introduction and conclusion, the bulk >of the book takes what DeLyser has identified as the most >significant Ramona locales, and gives them each a chapter in which >to discuss their factual history, their Ramona assigned history, and >the evolution of these places into tourist attractions. Chapter 3, >"Rancho Camulos: Symbolic Heart of the Ramona Myth," is first in the >series of chapters recounting the Ramona locales. Rancho Camulos, >perhaps the most important and well known of the Ramona-associated >tourist attractions, provides the strongest case study in tracking >the Ramona myth. The home's actual history as the residence of a >prominent California family, the del Valles, is circumvented by its >tourist-assigned designation as the "real home of Ramona." Soon, >DeLyser explains, Rancho Moreno, the fictional name of Ramona's home >in the novel, was replaced in stage and film adaptations of Ramona >by the name Rancho Camulos. The del Valles' home and their lives >became overrun with Ramona-seeking tourists. The structure became >permanently solidified in the landscape and memory not only of >southern California, but also the nation, when the home achieved >designation as a National Historic Landmark. In the six chapters >that follow, DeLyser attempts to recount the significance of other >Ramona-associated attractions, including Ramona's marriage place, >birthplace, women posing as the "Real Ramona," stage adaptations, as >well as several housing tracts, streets, schools, and even a city >named for Ramona. Each chapter provides an interesting story of >seeming critical importance to the purpose of the book; ultimately >however, DeLyser's most important analysis comes through in her >Introduction and her first two chapters, "A Determined Author and >Her Novel" and "Ramona's Pilgrims: Tourism and Southern California." >The middle chapters are entertaining, but at times the author seems >herself swept up in the romanticism of the Ramona myth. > >In the first chapter, DeLyser provides an important discussion of >the life of Helen Hunt Jackson, her motivations for writing >_Ramona_, as well as the personal experiences from which she drew to >create the novel. DeLyser places the life of Helen Hunt Jackson >within the context of her times providing an important discussion of >her role as a female author and her struggle for acceptance in >academic writing that led her to the "acceptable" genre for female >authors, the regional novel. It was within this context of the >regional novel that Jackson's novel gained acceptance and acclaim. >DeLyser argues that it was also the novel's place within this genre >that was ultimately to the detriment of the author's intended social >purpose. _Ramona_ emerged as a romanticized vision; a creation of >southern California's past colored with exotic characters and tragic >love stories. The novel's conclusion, one DeLyser views as happy, >but in reality is more bitter-sweet, was one of the major factors >DeLyser claims that made Jackson's Indian argument a "nonissue" (p. >27). Along with Alessandro's death, so too dies the struggle of the Indian. > >Chapter 2, perhaps the author's strongest chapter, examines the >emerging role of tourism as an industry within a national context. >DeLyser discusses the rise of transportation, including the railroad >and the automobile, and its role in the growth of tourism. _Ramona >Memories_ connects the rise of _Ramona_-based tourism with that of a >national phenomenon. "All across America as tourists visited >historic sites, whether real or fictional, tourism, and the images >and the souvenirs tourists produced and collected, became integral >to the creation of social memory" (p. 63). The first two chapters >provide a good foundation and context for DeLyser's analysis of the >rise of _Ramona_-based tourism and the creation of southern >California's social memory. In part, the middle chapters do not do >her introduction and argument justice. The author is essentially >arguing that Jackson's novel was one of, if not the most important >factor in shaping southern California's social memory. Given little >attention by DeLyser however, is the issue of power in the creation >of social memory, as well as the numerous and diverse factors that >contributed to the prevalence of southern California's nostalgic >past. Although, arguably of utmost importance, Jackson's novel >_Ramona_ did not single-handedly shape the way in which southern >Californians understood their past. > >In general, _Ramona Memories_ is a light and easy read for anyone >interested in Helen Hunt Jackson's _Ramona,_ or the creation of a >unique and interesting tourist niche in southern California. DeLyser >provides important analysis in her introduction and first two >chapters regarding social memory and tourism; however, she loses >that insight in the bulk of her discussion. _Ramona Memories_ would >serve well as a supplement to Helen Hunt Jackson's _Ramona,_ in a >classroom setting as it provides a detailed account of the >unintended results of Jackson's indictment of Native American >mistreatment, and the divergent path it took. It is also useful in a >discussion of southern California and the phenomenon of the tourism >industry, but not as useful as one would have hoped as an academic >analysis of social memory and tourism. > >Note > >[1]. See, for example, Kevin Starr, _Inventing the Dream: California >Through the Progressive Era_ (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1985). > > > > Copyright (c) 2006 by H-Net, all rights reserved. H-Net permits > the redistribution and reprinting of this work for nonprofit, > educational purposes, with full and accurate attribution to the > author, web location, date of publication, originating list, and > H-Net: Humanities & Social Sciences Online. For other uses > contact the Reviews editorial staff: hbooks@mail.h-net.msu.edu. Carol De Priest Honest Intellectual Inquiry <http://www.dakotacom.net/~depriest/index.htm> ***moving to <http://www.cox.net/depriest3/index.htm>*** I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which, when looked at in the right way did not become still more complicated. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/p/poulanders137583.html>Poul Anderson