Raymond’s Run

by

Toni Cade Bambara

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Raymond’s Run makes teaching easy.

Raymond’s Run Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
Unlike most girls, Squeaky doesn’t have many household chores—her mother does most of them. Squeaky also doesn’t have to earn pocket money by running errands or selling Christmas cards the way George does. Squeaky’s father takes care of most everything else the family needs—all Squeaky has to do is look after her brother Raymond.
The story begins with Squeaky describing her caretaking duties, which suggests that looking after Raymond is central to her identity within the family. Each of her family members seems to have a distinct role in the household, and Squeaky’s primary responsibility is Raymond.
Themes
Caretaking Theme Icon
A lot of people refer to Raymond as Squeaky’s little brother because he’s “not quite right” and needs supervision, but he’s actually older and much bigger than she is. People would often mock Raymond for his “big head” when George was the one who looked after him, but Squeaky isn’t afraid to stand up for Raymond; she isn’t one to stay quiet when someone is speaking out of turn. Squeaky isn’t afraid to take risks and push people down, even if she’s a skinny little girl with a squeaky voice (which is how she got her nickname). If a confrontation gets too intense, Squeaky just runs away—she’s “the fastest thing on two feet.”
Squeaky clearly takes her role as Raymond’s protector seriously. It doesn’t matter to her that he’s “not quite right” and has a “big head”—Squeaky loves Raymond regardless of his disability (the exact nature of which is unspecified) and is willing to stand up to whoever bothers him. Squeaky’s boasting about being unafraid to fight and being “the fastest thing on two feet” establishes the reputation that Squeaky has made for herself in the neighborhood. Though she’s small and physically unintimidating, she projects toughness to the world as a means of defending Raymond and herself.
Themes
Caretaking Theme Icon
Reputation, Respect, and Identity Theme Icon
Quotes
Squeaky wins first-place medals in every track competition she participates in. In private, though, Squeaky’s father races against her and effortlessly beats her, even when Squeaky gets a head start. But this is a secret, since racing against kids is embarrassing for Squeaky’s father. As far as everyone else knows, Squeaky is the fastest person in the neighborhood—certainly faster than Gretchen, who’s been bragging that she’s going to win the first-place medal this year. Squeaky thinks this is ridiculous, since Gretchen has short legs and freckles, and no one ever beats Squeaky.
Squeaky is clearly a talented runner, yet her father’s embarrassment at being seen racing her implies that he doesn’t take her passion seriously. Whereas Squeaky is willing to stand up to anyone who insults Raymond, their father doesn’t extend that same pride and protectiveness to Squeaky. The reader thus begins to see that Squeaky’s abrasive attitude is at least partially rooted in a lack of support and care from those around her. Meanwhile, Squeaky’s disapproval of Gretchen hints at a general atmosphere of competitiveness and hostility among the girls in the neighborhood.
Themes
Caretaking Theme Icon
Reputation, Respect, and Identity Theme Icon
Gender Roles and Female Solidarity Theme Icon
Quotes
One day, Squeaky sets out on a walk down Broadway while doing breath training for running. Raymond walks with her on the side closer to the buildings, since he’s prone to “fits of fantasy.” If Raymond pretends he’s a circus performer and gets his pants and shoes wet when he steps off the curb (his makeshift tightrope) into the gutter, Squeaky is the one who gets hit as punishment when they return home. Sometimes, Raymond even darts into the street to scare the pigeons, which causes a commotion and upsets the neighbors. When this happens, Squeaky always has to apologize on his behalf. But Squeaky doesn’t mind looking after Raymond while he makes believe, as long as he doesn’t interrupt her breathing practice.
Raymond’s “fits of fantasy” and the ruckus he causes in the neighborhood suggests that his intellectual disability is rather severe and that he’s difficult to control. It seems unfair, then, that Squeaky is soley responsible for supervising him at such a young age, especially since Raymond is older and bigger than she is. Plus, given that Squeaky is the one who gets hit when Raymond misbehaves, she’s clearly under an immense amount of pressure from her parents to keep Raymond in line. And yet Squeaky doesn’t resent this role—she seems to take pride in being Raymond’s caretaker and to enjoy his company rather than viewing him as a burden.
Themes
Caretaking Theme Icon
Quotes
Get the entire Raymond’s Run LitChart as a printable PDF.
Raymond’s Run PDF
Squeaky is unashamed of training in public, even though this embarrasses her mother. Squeaky’s classmate Cynthia Procter, on the other hand, likes to let on that she doesn’t need to prepare for things like tests or the school spelling bee. But Squeaky knows better: Cynthia also pretends to be naturally gifted at the piano, but whenever Squeaky passes by Cynthia’s house, she hears her practicing scales. Squeaky resents this, since she herself studies hard and is unabashedly serious about running. Presently, as Squeaky does her exercises, Raymond keeps pace with her because people will harass him if they see him hanging around.
Like Squeaky’s father, her mother is embarrassed rather than supportive of Squeaky’s passion for running. And again, it’s likely that this lack of support contributes to Squeaky’s feelings of inadequacy and her subsequent need to push people away and assert herself. In this vein, Squeaky’s bitterness toward Cynthia Procter is another indicator that the girls in the neighborhood see one another as competition rather than potential friends or allies.
Themes
Reputation, Respect, and Identity Theme Icon
Gender Roles and Female Solidarity Theme Icon
Quotes
As Squeaky does her breathing exercises, she spots Gretchen and her sidekicks Mary Louise and Rosie walking up the street. Squeaky used to be friends with Mary Louise when Mary Louise was new in Harlem, defending her from bullies, but now Mary Louise talks bad about Squeaky. Rosie is mean to Raymond, although Squeaky doesn’t think Rosie has room to talk since she’s fat and unintelligent. Squeaky considers going into the candy store to avoid the girls, but she decides that would be cowardly—she has “a reputation to consider.” Squeaky is ready for a fight.
The way in which Mary Louise has backstabbed Squeaky adds context to Squeaky’s resentment toward other girls: it seems that the norm among the girls in the neighborhood is to put one another down in order to social climb and make themselves feel superior. Squeaky, too, emulates this norm through her insulting thoughts about Rosie and her prior comments about Gretchen’s short legs and freckles. However, this mean streak seems to be a front—Squeaky has “a reputation to consider” that drives her to be tough, even when she’d rather run and hide.
Themes
Reputation, Respect, and Identity Theme Icon
Gender Roles and Female Solidarity Theme Icon
As the girls approach, Mary Louise and Rosie taunt Squeaky about losing the upcoming May Day race, but Squeaky knows that they’re just parroting what Gretchen told them to say. As Gretchen smiles disingenuously, Squeaky thinks that “girls never really smile at each other” because adult women don’t either, so there’s no one to teach them how. Mary Louise and Rosie begin to bully Raymond, but Squeaky is quick to tell them off. Gretchen tries to look tough but has nothing to say back, so she and her sidekicks walk away. Raymond and Squeaky exchange a smile and carry on down the street.
Though Squeaky claims to be unafraid to fight, it’s significant that she shies away from actual violence and instead tells the girls off verbally. Her posturing seems to be defensive rather than offensive—she just wants people to let her and Raymond be themselves and walk in peace. Squeaky’s insight that “girls never really smile at each other” because that behavior isn’t modeled to them suggests that the issue of cattiness and competitiveness is widespread among adult women and young girls alike in their neighborhood. Gretchen and her sidekicks don’t know any better—they’re merely emulating a social norm in being cruel to Squeaky and Raymond.
Themes
Caretaking Theme Icon
Reputation, Respect, and Identity Theme Icon
Gender Roles and Female Solidarity Theme Icon
Quotes
On May Day, Squeaky is in no rush to get to the park since the track meet is the last event of the day. The main attraction of the celebration is the May Pole dance, which Squeaky’s mother wishes she would participate in. But Squeaky is adamant that she doesn’t want to wear fancy clothes and dance around pretending to be a fairy—she’s more interested in being herself, a “poor Black girl” who can’t really afford new clothes. Squeaky remembers playing a dancing strawberry in a nursery school production of Hansel and Gretel, feeling foolish just so that her mother and father could watch proudly. But Squeaky isn’t a dancer—she’s a runner.
Squeaky’s reflections about the May Pole dance and the play reveal another layer to her parents’ disapproval: her mother and father clearly wish that Squeaky was more traditionally feminine. Squeaky’s rejection of prescribed gender roles and commitment to being herself, a “poor Black girl” who loves to run, disappoint her parents. Squeaky’s tough posturing, then, seemingly stems from feeling hurt at others’ disapproval and wanting to shut people out and avoid judgment about her identity and passions.
Themes
Reputation, Respect, and Identity Theme Icon
Gender Roles and Female Solidarity Theme Icon
Quotes
When Squeaky arrives late to the May Day program, she puts Raymond in a swing and looks around for her teacher Mr. Pearson, who pins the race numbers on. Truthfully, Squeaky is really looking for Gretchen, though she doesn’t see her anywhere in the crowded park. Eventually, Mr. Pearson fumbles over, clumsily dropping things as he towers over the crowd on stilts. Mr. Pearson greets Squeaky by her nickname, which she resents because she’s not allowed to call him Beanstalk (his nickname among Squeaky and her classmates) to his face—so she corrects him that her name is Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker.
Even though the May Day race is incredibly important to Squeaky, her parents are seemingly absent. Again, their lack of support despite the responsibility for Raymond that they delegate to Squeaky likely makes Squeaky feel unappreciated and ashamed of who she is. It logically follows, then, that Squeaky has created a formidable persona in order to protect herself from getting hurt emotionally. Her insistence that Mr. Pearson call her by her full name underscores this: she bristles whenever she senses that someone is trying to make her feel inferior. Meanwhile, Squeaky’s preoccupation with finding Gretchen in the park shows the extent to which she’s motivated by besting other girls rather than simply focusing on her own performance.
Themes
Caretaking Theme Icon
Reputation, Respect, and Identity Theme Icon
Gender Roles and Female Solidarity Theme Icon
Mr. Pearson hints that Squeaky should purposely lose the race this year—it would be a nice gesture to let Gretchen win, since she’s new to the neighborhood. Squeaky just gives him a dark look and stomps away after pinning on her lucky number, seven. She thinks that adults can have a lot of nerve. Squeaky goes to lie down in the grass next to the track, imagining that she’s back in the country instead of the “concrete jungle” of the city. After the younger age groups run the 20-, 30-, and 40-yard dashes, Squeaky and Gretchen take their places at the starting line for the 50-yard dash. Squeaky sees Raymond on the other side of the fence, mimicking the runners’ crouched positions, but Squeaky doesn’t have the energy to yell at him to cut it out.
Here, Mr. Pearson reinforces the competitive attitude that Squeaky and her female classmates harbor toward one another. Rather than encouraging Squeaky to do her best, he frames her winning as a disservice to other girls like Gretchen. Squeaky’s daydream, meanwhile, adds yet another layer to the persona she puts on: it seems that she feels dissatisfied and alienated in the “concrete jungle” where she lives and longs to go back to the countryside. Thus, she acts tough and abrasive to prevent others from seeing her emotional pain or vulnerability. Squeaky’s decision not to yell at Raymond also implies that being his caretaker wears on her despite how much she loves him—it’s simply too big of a responsibility for a girl her age.
Themes
Caretaking Theme Icon
Reputation, Respect, and Identity Theme Icon
Gender Roles and Female Solidarity Theme Icon
Whenever Squeaky is about to run a race, she feels like she’s in a fever dream, flying weightlessly over a beach. In the dream, she smells apples like the ones in the orchard near where she used to live in the countryside. She feels herself getting lighter and lighter until she crouches over the starting line and snaps out of the dream. Feeling solid again, she encourages herself that she has to win because there’s no one faster than her—she could even beat her father if she really tried.
Here, the symbolism of running is fully established: though Squeaky uses winning races as a means of impressing others, running also represents escapism, a break from the judgment she constantly faces from other people. But again, this inner peace is interrupted, as even Squeaky’s private inner monologue reveals a deep-seated need to win in order to maintain her reputation.
Themes
Reputation, Respect, and Identity Theme Icon
The gun goes off, and Squeaky flies past everyone else and tunes out the world around her. She sees Gretchen to her right and Raymond keeping pace with them on the other side of the fence, running in his own style with his arms at his sides and his hands behind him. Squeaky, awestruck, has never seen this before; she almost stops and watches Raymond on his very first run. But she stays focused on the finish line and wins the race, garnering congratulatory pats on the back from everyone on the sidelines.
Seeing Raymond running is a turning point for Squeaky: despite desperately wanting to win the 50-yard dash just before this, she actually considers quitting the race just to watch him. Raymond isn’t motivated by accolades or other people’s opinions—running alongside the racers seems to be a way of expressing himself and doing something he enjoys, regardless of how he looks while doing it. Squeaky’s admiration of him, then, suggests that she may come to a similar conclusion about unabashedly pursuing her passions regardless of what people think of her.
Themes
Reputation, Respect, and Identity Theme Icon
Quotes
Then, just as the race announcer says “In first place,” the loudspeaker cuts out. Squeaky sees that Gretchen overshot the finish line, too, and is now walking back while breathing steadily like a professional would. Seeing this, Squeaky thinks that she actually likes Gretchen a little. Beanstalk argues with the announcer and a few other men about the times on the stopwatches while Squeaky and Gretchen look at each other, wondering who actually won.
It’s significant that Squeaky’s change of heart toward Gretchen happens just after witnessing Raymond’s run. It suggests that loving and supporting him as his caretaker is spilling over onto Squeaky’s attitude toward others, making her more cooperative and supportive rather than competitive. Instead of viewing Gretchen as an enemy, Squeaky begins to feel solidarity and even admiration toward Gretchen as a fellow female runner.
Themes
Caretaking Theme Icon
Gender Roles and Female Solidarity Theme Icon
Just then, Raymond rattles the fence to get Squeaky’s attention, eventually climbing over it in a graceful way that makes Squeaky think of how Raymond looked while he was running. She thinks that Raymond would actually make a good runner—he always keeps up with Squeaky when she practices and even mimics her breathing exercises. Squeaky thinks that it doesn’t matter if she’s won or lost against Gretchen, since she could always retire as a runner and coach Raymond instead. She could even beat Cynthia in the spelling bee if she studied hard enough, or she could become a star on the piano if she could convince her mother to get her lessons. Squeaky’s room is full of ribbons, medals, and awards—she wonders what Raymond has of his own.
Again, it seems that Squeaky’s care for Raymond has given her a sudden shift in perspective. Having realized the things she’s been able to achieve while Raymond has been left out, Squeaky’s sole motivation is no longer just beating peers like Gretchen or Cynthia—she is more concerned with bettering herself, cooperating, and helping lift others up. Squeaky even thinks that she’ll give up racing, forfeiting her need to constantly project an image of success and strength to the world. Instead, Squeaky is inspired to pursue other hobbies and to help Raymond realize his own untapped potential.
Themes
Caretaking Theme Icon
Reputation, Respect, and Identity Theme Icon
Gender Roles and Female Solidarity Theme Icon
Quotes
Squeaky laughs aloud with joy at all of her plans, jumping up and down with excitement as Raymond scales the fence and runs over to her. She thinks that Raymond will be an excellent runner, just like Squeaky and their father. Everyone else thinks that Squeaky is excited because the judges have just announced the final results of the race: Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker in first place, Gretchen P. Lewis in second. Squeaky looks over at Gretchen and smiles, thinking that Gretchen is a good runner and that she could even help Squeaky coach Raymond. Gretchen nods to congratulate Squeaky and smiles back—as real of a smile as a girl can manage, Squeaky thinks, given that girls don’t usually practice “real smiling.” She thinks that maybe girls are preoccupied with being fairies or strawberries instead of being “something honest and worthy of respect […] like being people.”
It’s a big deal that Squeaky is more excited about her new plans than about winning the race—watching Raymond run for the simple joy of running seems to have rid Squeaky of her constant need to best and impress others. The “real” smile that Squeaky shares with Gretchen further implies that Squeaky is ready to drop her tough persona and be vulnerable, supporting others even when she’s not sure if her kindness will be reciprocated. By extending respect to others in this way, the story suggests, one will garner sincere respect (rather than fear or intimidation) in return and even forge new friendships. In caring for Raymond, Squeaky is ready to cooperate with other girls as fellow human beings who are “worthy of respect,” treating people in the way that she hopes others will treat Raymond.
Themes
Caretaking Theme Icon
Reputation, Respect, and Identity Theme Icon
Gender Roles and Female Solidarity Theme Icon
Quotes