In the short story "Raymond's Run”, the author, Toni Cade Bambara, describes an uncommon young girl named Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker, otherwise known as "Squeaky". Every day, Hazel looks after and protects a teenager Raymond with mental disabilities. Aside from helping, she also practices running a lot and is considered one of the fastest runners, along with Gretchen, her rival. Eventually, Hazel and Gretchen realized each other's true dedication and respected each other after their first race. Furthermore, Hazel began to understand Raymond's true value and saw him as the runner he was rather than just someone she needed to protect.
The tolerance or acceptance of people with disabilities in a society eventually shows the generosity of people to accept the deficiency of others. People with disabilities should not be disrespected and looked down upon as they did not choose to have these limitations. Rather, they should be accepted and valued in the community as well. In the story, because of his mental disability, Raymond was often bullied by others. People treated Raymond as someone with no understanding or feelings. Instead of trying to help Raymond or just accepting, they mocked and despised him. Majority of people are also unaware of what it is like to live with a disability. Therefore, accepting helps people with disabilities to recognize their worth and adapt to society. Positivity and confidence in oneself are more likely to emerge in those who feel appreciated and accepted for who they are. This sense of self-worth empowers them to pursue their goals and to contribute meaningfully. Moreover, disabilities shouldn't hinder their contribution, as they should be able to play a role in all aspects of the community. In the end, each person is a human being with real emotions and deserves acceptance, regardless of anything.
It's only natural for people, including those who may not have disabilities, to desire acceptance and recognition. This can often lead to striving for perfection and having an obsession to need or appear to be perfect. Many believe that if they live perfectly, look perfect, and act perfectly, they can minimize or avoid the pain of blame, judgment, and shame. Some people, such as Hazel in this story, always strive to be perfect. Running was Hazel's passion, and she trained until she became the best. Even if it irritated her mother, she would "high-prance down 34th Street like a rodeo pony" to keep her knees strong, displaying her determination to achieve perfectionism in running. However, Hazel aimed to appear perfect or be the best because of her desire for a good stature and to prove others wrong. Her goal was to be able to be the best among all the competitors every time and to receive honor every time. Furthermore, Hazel seeks to gain a good reputation from the competition and her success in order to be recognized and admitted by others. Often, perfection is part of someone’s identity to have an impressive reputation.
In competition, success and reputation are the ultimate targets of many and to gain that, it requires resilience. When contesting in sports, resilience is key to success since it helps the athlete move through and be strengthened by challenges. The May Day competition, for instance, is one Hazel practiced hard and trained for regularly. She constantly practiced running throughout the day as she stated, "I never walk if I can trot." Additionally, Hazel accumulated an impressive reputation as the “fastest thing in the neighborhood” as a result of regular training and her various wins in the May Day competition. However, competition also includes those contenders who attempt to show off in order to earn the distinction of being the best. With Hazel and Gretchen, they competed for first place in the May Day competition. Although Gretchen and her friends ridiculed and predicted Hazel would lose, she still triumphed, demonstrating her true skills and determination. In school, Hazel's classmate, Cynthia, acts like things just come naturally to her and won't admit that she practices. She is a symbol of fake talent and a fake performer. The purpose of her “non-hardship” success was to show off and demonstrate that she was better than everyone else. Thus, these examples illustrate that hard work and resilience are necessary to achieve success in competition.
The novel, Raymond’s Run, demonstrates various significant themes throughout, one being the acceptance of people with disabilities in society. Though Hazel did not disrespect or look down on Raymond, she hadn’t considered his true abilities in the beginning. Eventually as Hazel began to see Raymond’s true ablities, Hazel changes her focus in life from trying to win all the time to helping others win. She matures and understands her identity and importance in the world. Furthermore, the story involves competition where gaining a good reputation and being perfect are crucial to success. Nevertheless, Hazel's purpose for participating in these competitions is not only to win but also to establish an impressive reputation and to demonstrate that she is the best at running. Additionally, her reputation allows her to feel a sense of belonging in society and to be recognized as an individual. Overall, Raymond’s Run is an entertaining story that uncovers many themes throughout and spreads awareness for people with disabilities.
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