Most stories I have read up until now wasn’t very opinionative. They contained a plot, and little opinions here and there, but there weren’t any major opinion-based parts. Toni Cade Bambara had written a great story called “Raymond’s Run” to show that short stories can be very opinionative. In the story, Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker, also called Squeaky, is the narrator and she values her opinions. She is very straight-forward. I agree with many things she mentioned in the story.

Squeaky made her point clear about dancing. “You’d think my mother’d be grateful not to have to make me a white organdy dress with a big satin sash and buy me new white baby-doll shoes that can’t be taken out of the box till the big day.” Squeaky doesn’t like dresses or baby-doll shoes, and I don’t either. She has a very visual way of explaining exactly why she prefers running over dancing. “….her daughter ain’t out there prancing around a May Pole getting the new clothes all dirty and sweaty….” She doesn’t think all the big mess about buying a pretty dress and shoes isn’t worth it for the “big day.” I believe that she is right about that all dancing does is get the new clothes all dirty and sweaty.

Squeaky believes is fairness not regarding the age, gender, or race of anyone. “And I’m thinking he’s got no right to call me Squeaky, if I can’t call him Beanstalk.” Even though it can be thought of as a common sense that the adults can call kids by their nicknames but kids can’t call the adults by their nicknames, Squeaky didn’t think so. She thought of Mr. Pearson and herself as equals and she didn’t want him to think that he was superior than her by doing something he is not allowing her to do.

Squeaky is an easy-going kind of person. “I can always retire as a runner and begin a whole new career as a coach with Raymond as my champion.” She thinks life is a big, fat chunk of chance, which it is. It is never too late to change; there is always another chance to do what you want to do. She feels that she can just change her job whenever she wants, even thought that’s not possible in real, social life, and do whatever she feels she will be great at.

In conclusion, Squeaky’s thoughts are mostly in line with mine. She is very bold and she isn’t afraid to voice her opinions, even thought she never really says it out loud. She is very athletic and she is kind of a tomboy. She can’t stand people picking on each other and she demands fairness among everyone; she thinks people who pick on other people are stupid. I wish I can think more optimistically and easy going like her.