Raymonds run toni cade bambara biography

"Raymond's Run" is a short story by the American author Toni Cade Bambara, published as part of her collection Gorilla, My Love in 1972. The story concerns a young African-American girl's experiences as a talented sprinter and her relationship with her disabled brother.

Background

"Raymond's Run" is one of several stories in Bambara's collection Gorilla, My Love that are narrated by a young black girl named Hazel. Raymond is one of a small number of male characters in Gorilla, My Love.

Plot summary

Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker, known as "Squeaky", is a young African-American girl from a poor background.

A long distance runner and caregiver to her disabled brother Raymond, she rejects femininegender roles, seeing social expectations of women as a pretense concealing women's true selves, and is protective of her brother and willing to fight those who mock him.

Hazel particularly abhors another girl, Gretchen; eventually, though, after th