One of the conflicts in "Raymond's Run" is how Squeaky, the protagonist, will deal with her brother, Raymond, who is developmentally disabled. At first, she tries to help him by essentially challenging anyone who says anything nasty to him. She says, "if anybody has anything to say to Raymond, anything to say about his big head, they have to come by me." By the end of the story, she realizes that the best way she can help Raymond is by being his coach and helping him learn to run, as he has the makings of being a fine runner.

The other conflict is that Squeaky has competition in her race from Gretchen, the new girl. Squeaky at first acts antagonistically towards Gretchen because, as Squeaky says, "girls never really smile at each other because they don’t know how." However, after Gretchen almost ties with Squeaky in the race, Squeaky begins to respect the other girl. Squeaky says, "And I smile. Cause she’s good, no doubt about it." Squeaky is able to form a friendship with Gretchen rather than feel competitive towards her, and she thinks that she and Gretchen might even work together to coach Raymond.

There are two main types of conflict, internal conflict (man verses himself) and external conflict (man verses man, nature, and supernatural). Internal conflict tends to be the result of one's internal struggle regarding his or her morality and desires. External conflict exists as the result of one conflicting with outside forces (another person/group, natural forces (such as animals or the weather), or the supernatural (such as gods, demons, ghosts, or goblins). 

As for the conflict depicted in Toni Cade Bambara's "Raymond's Run," the protagonist (Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker, or Squeaky) faces both internal and external conflict. 

One internal conflict Squeaky faces exists is taking care of her brother ("All I have to do in life is mind my brother Raymond, which is enough."). Squeaky does not have to do housework, hustle money, or anything else. All she is responsible for is taking care of Raymond. By stating that taking care of Raymond "is enough," one can infer (make an educated guess) that she feels conflicted about it. Her exasperation is evident. 

Externally, Squeaky's conflict lies in beating Gretchen in the May Day race. Gretchen is Squeaky's only competition, and Squeaky cannot lose to her. Beating Gretchen actually exists as both an internal and external conflict. Externally, Squeaky must run faster than Gretchen. Internally, Squeaky will not feel as if she is "the best" if she loses. 

What conflicts does the narrator of "Raymond's Run" by Toni Cade Bambara face?

Squeaky, the narrator of "Raymond's Run" by Toni Cade Bambara, faces several conflicts in the story. First of all, she is responsible for her mentally handicapped brother, Raymond, and that creates conflict for her in a couple of ways. Squeaky often has to defend Raymond from the other kids who make fun of him, and because she has to take care of Raymond, his antics sometimes interfere with her training for the May Day Race. Next, Squeaky is very competitive, so she not only has the competition of the May Day Race to think about, she also is in daily competition with the girls in her class at school. She has a conflict with Cynthia Proctor, who pretends she never has to study even though Squeaky knows she does. She has a conflict with Gretchen and friends, Rosie and Mary Louise, who talk about her "like a dog." (Bambara 4) 

Last of all, Squeaky has a conflict within herself. She notices how girls are mean to each other when maybe they should support one another.

"Gretchen smiles, but it's not a smile, and I'm thinking that girls never really smile at each other because they don't now 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 5)

By the end of the story, Squeaky is able to admit that Gretchen really is pretty good at running, and she thinks that maybe they can be friends and join together to work with Raymond, who is a runner in his own right. 

What are some quotes about the conflict of "Raymond's Run" by Toni Cade Bambara?

One of the main conflicts in this story focuses on Squeaky and her running ability.  She's a great runner.  In fact, nobody has ever beaten her (except her father).  Squeaky is proud of that reputation; however, she knows that she has to work to keep that reputation by training hard and frequently.  The following quote is about her dedication to her craft. 

Now some people like to act like things come easy to them, won’t let on that they practice. Not me. I’ll high-prance down 34th Street like a rodeo pony to keep my knees strong . . . 

On the day of the May Day races, Squeaky is verbally challenged about her winning streak.  Rosie comes up to Squeaky and taunts her.  

“I don’t think you’re going to win this time,” says Rosie . . . 

Of course Squeaky feels the need to defend her title, but Squeaky doesn't feel that her legs should do all of the work.  She responds with a taunt of her own.

“I always win cause I’m the best,” I say straight at Gretchen who is, as far as I’m concerned, the only one talking in this ventriloquist-dummy routine.

This verbal exchange goes on for a bit; however, it changes to focus on a second conflict in the story.  Squeaky feels the need to protect her older brother, Raymond.   She tells readers this in the beginning of the story.  

And I don’t play the dozens or believe in standing around with somebody in my face doing a lot of talking. I much rather just knock you down and take my chances even if I am a little girl with skinny arms and a squeaky voice, which is how I got the name Squeaky.

But it's when the three girls are taunting Squeaky and Raymond that readers get to see Squeaky's protection of her brother in action.  

“What grade you in now, Raymond?”

“You got anything to say to my brother, you say it to me, Mary Louise Williams of Raggedy Town, Baltimore.”

“What are you, his mother?” sasses Rosie.

“That’s right, Fatso. And the next word out of anybody and I’ll be their mother too.”

What are some quotes about the conflict of "Raymond's Run" by Toni Cade Bambara?

The conflict of "Raymond's Run" is about how Squeaky is going to prove herself, both as a runner and as a protective sister to Raymond. One quote related to this conflict is "But now, if anybody has anything to say to Raymond, anything to say about his big head, they have to come by me." Squeaky is very protective of Raymond, albeit in the way a sister would typically defend a small younger sibling. In actuality, Raymond is older than Squeaky is. Later, she figures out a way to protect Raymond and champion him without treating him like a small child. When she is running in the May Day races, she thinks, "it occurred to me that Raymond would make a very fine runner. Doesn’t he always keep up with me on my trots?" She decides at the end of the story to prove herself and help Raymond at the same time by coaching him as a runner.

In the meantime, while Squeaky is trying to figure out how to protect Raymond, she attempts to prove herself as a runner. She says, "Now some people like to act like things come easy to them, won’t let on that they practice. Not me. I’ll high-prance down 34th Street like a rodeo pony to keep my knees strong." Squeaky is determined to win races to prove her mettle, and she'll work hard to do so. 

What type of conflict is presented in Toni Cade Bambara's story "Raymond's Run" and how is it revealed?

The main type of conflict revealed in Toni Cade Bambara’s short story “Raymond’s Run” is inner conflict. The protagonist of the story, Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker, known as Squeaky, faces and defeats conflict within herself.

Although Hazel is small in stature, she has a mighty attitude, and a need for perfection in her running. In her Harlem neighborhood, Squeaky often endures taunting from other children, and lives with her nickname, which is based on her high-pitched voice. In her group of classmates, she is not the best speller or the most musically talented, but she is the swiftest runner. She fiercely defends herself and her disabled brother, whom she cares for on a daily basis.

Squeaky deals with her inner demons as she reacts to the taunting of the other girls her age, and views the new girl, Gretchen, as an adversary to be reckoned with in the May Day Race. She does not understand how to be Gretchen’s friend. In fact, she is not a true friend to any of the girls because she sees them as frauds and competition. Hazel is devoted to practicing her craft and caring for Raymond, who is her constant companion, and whom she defends against any type of insult. Before the race, she sees her brother as someone who needs constant care, but she does not see his potential.

Only after the May Day Race, when Gretchen proves herself to be a viable competitor, does Squeaky realize that they have a common bond, and the ability to develop a meaningful friendship. In addition, she comes to see Raymond’s potential as a coachable runner. Although he was on the other side of the fence, he matches her stride for stride in the race. These two revelations help Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker come to terms with her inner conflict, and assist her in realizing that there is more to her young life than struggling with others. She and Gretchen exchange a “genuine” smile built on respect, and Squeaky thinks the two of them might even be able to coach Raymond together.