In the short story Raymond’s Run by Toni Cade Bambara, there is a sassy and bold runner named Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker “Squeaky.” Squeaky is very protective of her brother Raymond. Squeaky is a very confident runner and is not afraid of bullies. She stands up for herself and for other people. Squeaky‘s attitude sets the theme as a prepared, confident, and responsible person. She shows she is responsible by taking care of her brother, protecting him, always practicing her sprints and is prepared for school. Examples of Squeaky being confident would be when she states, “There is no track meet that I don’t win the first place medal.” And she also says,” In the first place, no one can beat me and that’s all there is to it.” Secondly, Squeaky is always prepared. In the story, Squeaky talks about staying up to study for a spelling test, practicing her breathing, and practicing her running. Lastly, Squeaky shows that she is responsible by taking care of her brother Raymond, making sure he is safe and standing up for him when someone talks about him. …show more content…
Mr. Pearson, a race coordinator, mentioned that Squeaky should “give someone else a break this year” and says that she has some competition in Gretchen. This angers Squeaky. She is angry because she believes Gretchen doesn’t have what it takes to win the race and also, she is hurt because Gretchen has been a bully of her brother Raymond. Squeaky tells herself that, “Gretchen can’t win the race because she has freckles, and short legs.” The resolution is that hard work pays off. Squeaky won the race that she was prepared for; with Gretchen coming in a close second. At the end of the race, she and Gretchen shared a smile of respect between