What we see in ourselves can help us respect others applies in the story "Raymond's Run" by Toni Cade Bambara. The main character, "Squeaky", or Hazel Parker, is a serious runner that thinks negative of people that do not own up to what they do. Squeaky knows at the end of the story that she thought of people the wrong way and that people are not as fake as they may seem. Squeaky is a determined girl that wants to be the best runner and thinks of herself that way. She called herself "Miss Quicksilver" (5). She is talking about how nobody else can beat her. She is comparing herself to the superhero quicksilver. She learns at the end of the race that Gretchen is really just as serious as Squeaky is about running and wants to be good and they could make good friends too. Squeaky is a serious hardworking runner. She always can be seen, "any time of day practicing running. I never walk if I can trot" (4). Her determination and attitude towards…show more content… However after the race, "I lean down to catch my breath and here comes Gretchen walking back, for she's overshot the finish line too, huffing and puffing with her hands on her hips taking it slow, breathing in steady time like a real pro and I sort of like her a little for the first time." (8). Squeaky is starting to understand the Gretchen is actually a legitimate, serious, and good runner. They nearly tied and then all of the sudden, "Raymond climbs hand over hand and remembering how he looked running with his arms down to his side and with the wind pulling his mouth back and his teeth showing and all, it occurred to me that Raymond would make a very fine runner." (9). When Squeaky sees Raymond running she begins thinking of an idea. Now that she knows that Gretchen is serious about running and she is too, they would become good friends and could train Raymond to be a good
