Raymond's Run Theme

This was caused by the fact that her rival, Gretchen, thought she was better than her at running which Squeaky thought was absolutely impossible. "... that goes for Gretchen, too, who has put out the tale that she is going to win the first place medal this year" (Raymond's Run 35). Gretchen had two other friend that followed her around, Marie Louise, who had been her “friend” after Squeaky had save her from being picked on when she had barely arrived in town, and Rosie, a sassy girl who taunts Raymond but fails to realize that she is more idiotic than him. That only reinforced her belief that girls couldn’t be friends as far as saying they never really smile at each other. “ Gretchen smiles, but it isn’t really a smile, and I’m thinking that girls never really smile at each other 'cause they don’t know how and don’t want to know and there’s probably no one to teach us 'cause grown-up girls dont know either" ( Raymond's Run 35). But just like Raymond, her view opens up after that race and made her realize Gretchen had good sportsmanship and was a very talented runner like herself. She had actually almost lost to Gretchen which was a surprise for Squeaky as she was very confident in her abilities and just as with Raymond, changed the way she saw things even considering if she should ask Gretchen to help her train Raymond. And what was once an enemy had become a potential friend and

”Gretchen smiles, but it is not a smile, and I’m thinking that girls never really smile at each other because they don’t know how and don’t want to know how and there is probably no one to teach us how, cause grown up girls don’t know either.”(147-151)” I was once a strawberry in a Hansel and Gretel pageant when I was in nursery school, I was like a fool just to let my mom and dad come dressed up and clap. I am not a strawberry. I do not dance on my toes. I run.” This explains that Squeaky stands up for herself and says “No” to whatever she does not like. And does what she really want to do, like

By the end of the story, as stated before, Squeaky has learned to appreciate the skills and talents of others. However, there are some people that she simply doesn’t like and doesn’t admire,

When squeaky gets smart with them. But Rosie knows that squeaky beat her before. Gretchen and her sidekicks are really rude to squeaky but it doesn't get to her. Gretchen is using forms of bullying to act like she is better.

She also gets protective because she is the one to take care of Raymond. When Gretchen asks “‘What grade you in now, Raymond?’" Squeaky’s protective instincts kick in because she doesn’t like Gretchen and she retorts “‘You got anything to say to my brother, you say it to me, Mary Louise Williams of Raggedy Town, Baltimore.’” In this sentence, you can hear how sassy she was being. She didn’t want Raymond to be made fun of, so she stopped the conversation. She knows if something happened to Raymond, she would get in trouble because she is the one who takes care of him and protects him so she put an end to

She is still the same person she was just a moment ago; snotty, mouthy, and disrespectful. She is shown to have no filter when she says things. Squeaky is referring back to Nursery School when her parents forced her to dress up. She absolutely despised it and thinks “I am not a strawberry. I do not dance on my toes. I run” (Bambara 108). She prides herself on being different from others but does it in a mouthy and unnecessary way. When Squeaky is receiving her pin number from Mr. Pearson, he calls her “Squeaky”. Her thought process is that if she can’t call him Beanstalk, he can’t call her squeaky. “Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker, I correct him and tell him to write it down on his board” (Bambara 109). This shows that Squeaky is snotty. She has no problem biting back against anyone and anything. After this, Mr. Pearson tells Squeaky about how Gretchen, her arch nemesis, will give her a “run for her money”, and he even lightly suggests that Squeaky should go easy on her. “I give him such a look that he couldn’t finish that idea into words” (Bambara 109). The fact that Mr. Pearson even nudges the idea of allowing someone else to win makes her offended and furious. Squeaky is even disrespectful towards adults. She is the same person as she was in the beginning and only shows that side of

In “Raymond’s Run”, it is clear to see that Squeaky walks through life with heavy weights and worries on her shoulders. Not only does she have to take care of Raymond, but she also has to deal with her mother, who does not accept Squeaky for who she is. Squeaky’s mother brings her down by not supporting her and expecting her to be a typical girly girl. When her mother brings her down, Squeaky develops insecurities about herself. She may not realize it, but the sassy and rude way she treats others is just an act to cover up her insecurities. When she acts like she is better than everyone else, she is just trying to hide the fact that she has so many obstacles that she needs to overcome. Just like Squeaky in “Raymond’s Run”, “She Used to Be Mine”, uncovers the act that Sara Bareilles puts on, and reveals her true self. Both Squeaky and Sara Bareilles have different dimensions and layers to themselves. Squeaky is also similar to a flower bud that blooms into something beautiful. By the end of the story, Squeaky learns to respect Gretchen, and by doing that she is gaining a new perspective on life. When a flower bud opens up, it grows layers of petals. Each petal on the flower is like each of Squeaky’s different personalities. Squeaky is still figuring out her life, and she is constantly learning from her mistakes and growing from them. While the flower grows new petals, the bud in in the center remains the same, like the heart of the flower. This goes to show that even when Squeaky is changing, she still has the same, loving heart. A heart that loves her family. A heart that loves Raymond. A heart that loves

Squeaky cares about her brother, Raymond a lot and she protects him like a mother. Mary Louise comes with her friends to talk with squeaky, and she tells her how she is not fast. Then she tries to ask Raymond something, but Squeaky stops her. “ You got anything to say to my brother you say it to me, Mary Louise Williams of Raggedy Town, Baltimore.”(Bambara 3) This quote explains how much she cares and is very protective. Rosie tries to be mean and asks squeaky, if she was Raymond’s mother. “ Thats right fatso, And the next word out of anybody and I’ll be their mother too.”(Bambara 3) This explains how squeaky could do anything for her brother no matter what.

“Raymond’s Run” is a story by Toni Cade Bambara about an African-American girl known to all as Squeaky who lives in Harlem, New York. Her numerous character traits and values make her very unique and unlike most her age. In the story, Squeaky arrives to the park where the race that she will be participating in will take place. An example of one of her values is, “I squint at him real hard to see if he is seriously thinking that I should lose the race on purpose just to give someone else a break” Bambara (22). This quote shows how much Squeaky values pride and hard work. The example supports the idea of Squeaky’s uniqueness through her values because not many children of that age possess those traits.The character Squeaky from “Raymond’s Run”

She normally goes on her walks to practice her breathing exercises and, “[keeps] Raymond on the inside of [her]...which is OK by [her] so long as he doesn’t run [her] over or interrupt [her] breathing exercises” (Bambara 2). When the race is finished, she decides that she is going to devote her attention to helping Raymond develop into a skilled runner. She decides she's going to “begin a whole new career as a coach with Raymond as my champion” (Bambara 6). From the beginning of the story to the end, she goes from thinking of herself as the main priority to recognizing that she has the capability to help others, and she is going to put her skills to use on Raymond. Finally, Squeaky learns to have respect for other girls. Squeaky believes that girls have the inability to be true friends with each other. When Gretchen smiles at her, she misinterprets it for a fake smile because, “girls never really smile at each other because they don’t know how and don’t want to know how and there’s probably no one to teach us how, cause grown-up girls don’t know either” (Bambara

In Toni Cade Bambara’s short story, “Raymond’s Run,” the author illustrates that Squeaky, the main character, transitions from a selfish runner to a helpful coach, showing that it's good to help others, especially when they can use the help for a task they're doing. In the beginning of the story,

As Squeaky faces events, tribulations or just a small interaction between another person, she gains more character, either changing or adding to her traits. The events in the story create an aggressive but caring character, known as

One day when Squeaky and Raymond go for a walk down Broadway, they find Mary Louise, Rosie, and Gretchen. When Mary is trying to talk to Raymond, wanting to know what grade he is in, Squeaky says fiercely “you got anything to say to my brother, you say it to me” (41). This shows that Squeaky does not want anyone saying anything to her brother Raymond. Squeaky is also protective of her brother Raymond when people try to talk to him. For example, it says in the story that “A lot of smart mouths got lots to say about that too, especially when George is minding him.

Also, in the story, “Raymond’s Run”, Squeaky and how she is open about her opinions, serious about running, and does allow other people to tell her what she has to be. One quote from “Raymond’s Run” that demonstrates the theme

She always several breathes which she claims is her favorite number. She used to be friends with a girl named Mary Louise who used to get beat up by everyone until Squeaky put her foot down only because their mothers used to sing together in the same choir when they were younger. Now she hangs out with a girl named Gretchen and talks behind Squeaky's back like a dog. Squeaky is so tough and brave hearted that she is willing to fight both Gretchen and Mary by her lonely.