Short summary of raymonds run by toni cade bambara questions and answers

In the story, a young girl named Hazel Parker prepares for a race; Bambara uses this plot to explore the challenges young black women face as they learn to assert their own identity while also dealing with family loyalties. Hazel is preparing to run in the May Day race the following day and has come to Broadway to practise her breathing exercises.

She compares herself with Cynthia , a clever girl from school who works hard to achieve things, as Hazel does, but unlike Hazel she acts as though she puts no effort in. Gretchen has recently arrived in the neighbourhood and intends to run in the fifty-yard dash against Hazel the following day. Mary Louise tries to poke fun at Raymond but Hazel challenges her on her behaviour.

Hazel and Gretchen stand off against each other. The next day, Hazel makes her way slowly to the starting place for the fifty-yard dash. She is deliberately making herself late so she avoids the May Pole dancing in which girls are encouraged to dress up and act like a fairy or a flower. When she gets to the park, she is approached by Mr.

Pearson , one of her teachers, who enters her name in the race and suggests she might let someone else win the race this year, such as Gretchen , the new girl. Hazel rejects this suggestion, staring at him. When the race takes place, Hazel notices Raymond , whom she had placed on the swings, is now on the other side of the fence and has adopted the same starting position, imitating her, prepared to race alongside his sister.

During the race, which Hazel tells us she always experiences as in a dream, she notices Raymond running alongside and the vision of him takes her by surprise.

Raymond's run setting

The story ends with Hazel thinking about her own future and the possibilities open to her and how Raymond might play a part in them, after she realises that he would be a talented runner himself. She is announced as the winner of the race, with Gretchen in second place. The two girls smile genuine smiles at each other and Hazel comments that societal expectations about how girls should behave prevent them from being respectful of each other.