As she begins the race, Squeaky tells herself: “Squeaky you must win, you must win, you are the fastest thing in the world.” This is a mantra she repeats in various forms throughout the story. Squeaky is “the fastest thing on two feet,” the older children call her Mercury, no one can beat her, “and that’s all there is to it.” Her attitude to the rest of the world is one of constant competition, in which she is always striving for success.

Squeaky does win the race, but by the time this becomes clear, she no longer cares. Even before the race is over, her focus changes, and she almost stops to watch her brother as he runs beside her. Throughout the story, Raymond has been a burden, a distraction that stops her concentrating all her energy on her running and other competitive activities. Now she realizes that she loves her brother, feels proud of him, and wants to help him develop his talents.

At the same time that she feels love for her brother, Squeaky realizes that she no longer feels any hatred for Gretchen. She does not care which of them won the race and sees Gretchen as a potential friend, who might help her to train Raymond and develop his talent for running. In this moment, Squeaky experiences a revelation of shared humanity, which encompasses not only her brother but also her former enemy, and this gives her more satisfaction than any of her many victories has ever done.