Raymond's Run Squeaky Analysis

Arianna Evans

As Toni Cade Bamambar once wrote “We stand there with this big smile of respect between us.” A smile can have so many meanings. In “Raymond's Run” written by Toni C. Barbama Squeaky is the main character. Squeaky's real name is Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker. She is overprotective of her older brother Raymond, because he is slower than most people his age but realizes he is a fast runner. Raymond and Squeaky live in Harlem, New York. Squeaky has a passion for running and always winning. She has a race one day and goes up against a girl named Gretchen, and she is a fast runner. Squeaky is a dynamic character, because she changes her perspective on winning and smiles at Gretchen at the end of the race.
As a solitary reason, Squeaky is a dynamic character, because she changes her perspective on winning. Squeaky is only focused on winning and is really competitive about this race, “Squeaky you must win, you must win, you are the fastest thing in the world, you can even beat your father up Amsterdam if you really try”(Page 30 paragraph 1). Squeaky cares more about coaching her brother and letting him get an award for himself as well.“And I'm selling to beat

In “Raymond's Run” Squeaky and Gretchen do not like each other. They view each other negatively “Then Gretchen puts her hands on her hips and is about to say something with her freckled-face self but doesn't.”(page 26 paragraph 8) Furthermore, in the end of the story “And she nods to congratulate me and then she smiles. And I smile.”(page 32) This proves by the end of the race she has gained respect for Gretchen even if the outcome turned out of her winning, tieing or losing the race. Additionally, in the end Squeaky was just happy that they both had real, respectful smiles for each other. To conclude, throughout the story she has a respectful outlook on Gretchen