24 pages • 48-minute read
Raymond's Run
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Themes
Rejection of Traditional Gender Roles
Throughout the text, Hazel “Squeaky” Parker makes it clear to readers that she is not like most other girls she knows. Squeaky distinguishes herself as unique among her peers, firstly because “I don’t have much work to do around the house like other girls” (Paragraph 1). While other girls her age are expected to help out around the house, Squeaky does not participate in any of the gendered house chores, such as cooking and cleaning. Instead, her sole responsibility is to look after Raymond, her older brother who has an intellectual disability, “which is enough” work (Paragraph 1).
One aspect of the care that Squeaky provides for her brother is dealing with “a lot of smart mouths [who] got lots to say” about Raymond’s disability (Paragraph 2). Squeaky is adamant about protecting her brother from potential bullies and insists that if anybody has anything to say to Raymond, “they have to come by me” (Paragraph 2). Unlike some other girls, Squeaky is not afraid to fight for her brother. As a personal preference, Squeaky maintains that she likes to deal with these issues head-on; instead of “standing around” and talking, she would much rather “knock you down…even if I am a little girl with skinny arms and a squeaky voice” (Paragraph 2). Squeaky is unwilling to let her size or gender keep her from defending her brother, and she is willing to do whatever it takes to protect him, even if that means behaving in ways that are abrasive and unladylike.
Squeaky continues to reject traditional gender roles by refusing to participate in the May Day Festival pole dancing, though her mother wishes that she would. Squeaky acknowledges that she has no interest in “trying to act like a fairy or a flower or whatever you’re supposed to be when you should be trying to be yourself,” and she would much rather spend her time pursing her actual interest, which is running (Paragraph 14). Even though she knows it would please her mother to see her daughter wearing a pretty dress and flounce around on stage with the other girls, Squeaky stays true to herself and refuses to conform. Rather than give into societal expectations, Squeaky opts only to engage in activities—in this case running—that she finds fulfilling and enjoyable, regardless of what other people may think.
Value of Practice and Perseverance
Squeaky declares early in the story that “there is no track meet that I don’t win the first-place medal” (Paragraph 3). Describing herself as “the fastest thing on two feet,” Squeaky is confident in her running abilities, and she is not afraid to express pride in her accomplishments.
Squeaky takes great pride in the effort she puts not only into running, but into just about everything she does. Squeaky compares herself to a classmate of hers, Cynthia Procter, a girl who she claims is “just the opposite” of herself (Paragraph 5). Cynthia is the type of person who “like[s] to act like things come easy to them” and “won’t let on that they practice” (Paragraph 5). Even though Squeaky—and likely the other children—can see right through her façade, Cynthia makes a show of pretending that she can ace an exam or win the school spelling bee by way of being naturally gifted. Squeaky knows from passing by Cynthia’s house every morning that Cynthia practices the same notes on the piano over and over, indicating that she does indeed take pains to grow and improve. Squeaky finds Cynthia’s need to seem inherently talented, rather than practiced, abhorrent.
Squeaky, on the other hand, is not afraid to “high-prance down 34th Street” to keep her knees strong, even though she knows that kind of behavior embarrasses her mother (Paragraph 5). She takes pride in the effort she puts into becoming a better student and runner, and she values the dedication and perseverance it takes to do so.
Squeaky’s admiration for those who practice and commit themselves to honing their craft comes to a climax after she wins first place in the May Day race. While her victory demonstrates the benefits of the time and energy she put into preparing for the race, it also presents her with the opportunity to make a new friend. After the race, Squeaky realizes that, like herself, Gretchen is a serious runner who trains diligently for competitions. Squeaky recognizes this quality in Gretchen when she sees her following the race, “breathing in steady time like a real pro,” which makes Squeaky “sort of like her a little for the first time” (Paragraph 24). This commonality between them brings about a newfound respect for one another. Although their relationship so far has been tense, the girls realize that when it comes to working toward their goals through consistent practice, they share similar values.
Identity and Awareness of Oneself
Squeaky, despite her youth, demonstrates an intrinsic understanding of her identity as it relates to her family, community, and the world at large. Throughout the narration, Squeaky’s musings on her life and relationships with other people suggest that she is a person who knows who she is. Through her meditations on her family, her peers, and the greater community, Squeaky makes clear several times throughout the narration that, in the context of this point in her life, she knows what she wants, what she likes, and what her goals are.
Squeaky’s first identity marker that she points out at the start of the story is that of a caretaker. Despite being the youngest, Squeaky’s sole responsibility within her family is to look after her brother, Raymond, who has an intellectual disability. Squeaky takes this job very seriously, and though she never comes across anyone truly willing to spar with her about Raymond, she is ready to defend him by any means necessary at a moment’s notice.
Aside from being a caretaker for her brother, Squeaky also takes great pride in another aspect of her identity, which is that of a skilled long-distance runner. Unlike some of her peers—namely Cynthia Procter—Squeaky does not shy away from letting the world know that she works hard to improve as a runner. She trains frequently, and her diligence and dedication to her craft always pays off, as we see in her assertion that “there is no track meet that I don’t win the first-place medal” (Paragraph 3).
In addition to having a firm understanding of who she is, Squeaky is also keenly aware of what she is not. For instance, Squeaky acknowledges that she is not particularly feminine, and she does not participate in the same activities that some of the other girls her age do, such as dancing at the May Day Festival. Squeaky once danced in a pageant at nursery school and knew even as a small child that performing in that way was not for her. Even though her mother is disappointed in her for not being more feminine and would be thrilled to see her daughter prancing around in a dress at the May Day festival, Squeaky is unwavering in her desire to stay true to herself.
Squeaky’s firmness in her identity differs from most stories with a young protagonist because her journey is less about self-discovery and more about discovering allies who are likeminded. She finds two allies in the race, first in Raymond, whom she suddenly sees as a promising runner, and second in Gretchen who is also a dedicated, hard-working runner. Rather than changing her perspective on her own identity, Squeaky’s perspective changes about the identities of others.
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