they slowly stole land from the Mexicans. Senora Moreno was wealthy before her husband passed. However, after he died, it was quite easy for the Americans to slowly take away her estate. The Americans had little thought of how their actions were affecting the native people. Once Ramona entered the picture, the bigotry was even clearer. Little Ramona was half Native American, half Mexican. She was adopted by the Senora Moreno, who was not fond of this child’s family tree: “She did not wish any dealings with such alien and mongrel blood, "If the child were pure Indian, I would like it better," she said. "I like not these crosses. It is the worst, and not the best of each, that remains.” Ramona eventually falls in love with Alessandro, a Native American worker.
Although Ramona is half Native American, she is rejected by society because of this relationship. The two elope together, resulting in many examples of the novel’s conflict. This includes their daughter’s death, since the doctor refused to visit their homestead. The climax of this conflict is Alessandro’s death. He has slowly been loosing his mind, due to the humiliation he has experienced from the bigotry. One day, he steals an American’s horse. The American promptly shoots, and kills him, despite Alessandro’s known mental issues. This is clear evidence of the prejudice against the Native Americans - the American would have spared Alessandro, had it not been for his race. The widowed Ramona and her remaining daughter eventually return back to her home ranch, where she attempts to make her life anew. Ramona’s story, and her great tragedies, are fine examples of the effect of racial prejudices. In Ramona by Helen Hunt Jackson we see a strong conflict of man vs. man, as the characters must suffer through great racial
prejudices.