Student Question
What three examples from “Raymond’s Run” show friendship can be found in unexpected places?
Quick answer:
Examples from “Raymond’s Run” that support the theme that friendship can be found in unexpected places include the short-lived friendship between Squeaky and Mary Louise and the unexpected friendship between Squeaky and her rival Gretchen, with whom she shares a moment of mutual respect after their fifty-yard dash.
“Raymond’s Run” is a short story written by African American writer, filmmaker, and social activist Toni Cade Bambara, first published in the author’s 1972 short story compilation Gorilla, My Love. It is told from the first-person perspective of Squeaky, a young girl whose sole passion is running.
Although “Raymond’s Run” does not center on the theme of friendship, it does show a few instances in which friendship is found in unexpected places. The first of these concerns Mary Louise, the girl Squeaky befriends because their mothers had sung in the same choir. Even though Squeaky is not the kind of girl who is interested in making new friends—as she is focused on her running—she extends herself because of the history between her and Mary Louise’s families. Unfortunately, their friendship ends up turning sour.
Mary Louise, who used to be a friend of mine when she first moved to...
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Harlem from Baltimore and got beat up by everybody till I took up for her on account of her mother and my mother used to sing in the same choir when they were young girls, but people ain’t grateful, so now she hangs out with the new girl Gretchen and talks about me like a dog.
The second instance of unexpected friendship is when Squeaky, while running the fifty-yard dash, notices her brother Raymond trying to run alongside her on the other side of the fence. The sight moves her so deeply that she almost ends up stopping in her tracks and losing the race.
And on the other side of the fence is Raymond with his arms down to his side and the palms tucked up behind him, running in his very own style, and it’s the first time I ever saw that and I almost stop to watch my brother Raymond on his first run.
Because her brother Raymond has a developmental disorder, Squeaky is appointed by their parents to be his guardian. When Squeaky witnesses Raymond trying to run, she feels close to him for the very first time.
Finally, the third instance of unexpected friendship in the story is when Squeaky smiles at her long-time rival Gretchen after the race. Even though the two dislike each other, they are able to share a moment of mutual respect.
And she nods to congratulate me and then she smiles. And I smile. We stand there with this big smile of respect between us. It’s about as real a smile as girls can do for each other, considering we don’t practice real smiling every day, you know, cause maybe we too busy being flowers or fairies or strawberries instead of something honest and worthy of respect ... you know … like being people.
Competing in an honest race leads the two girls to bond, as they realize that they are not so different from each other.