Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Can I have a summary of man of the house please?

In Toni Cade Bambara's short story, "Raymond's Run," very little is said about the man of the house, Squeaky's father. 


This story is told from Squeaky's perspective, and primarily centers around Squeaky's passion for running, and her responsibility taking care of her special needs brother Raymond. In the first paragraph of the story, Squeaky mentions her father:



"I don’t have much work to do around the house like some girls. My mother does that. And I don’t have to earn my pocket money by hustling; George runs errands for the big boys and sells Christmas cards. And anything else that’s got to get done, my father does. All I have to do in life is mind my brother Raymond, which is enough." 



Readers must infer what it is that Squeaky's father does from her statement that her father takes care of anything else that has to be done. This could be paying bills, doing odd jobs around the house, fixing things, or administering discipline. 


The second reference to Squeaky's father comes when she is describing her prowess as a runner. She says:



"The big kids call me Mercury cause I’m the swiftest thing in the neighborhood. Everybody knows that—except two people who know better, my father and me. He can beat me to Amsterdam Avenue with me having a two-fire-hydrant headstart and him running with his hands in his pockets and whistling. But that’s private information. Cause can you imagine some thirty-five-year-old man stuffing himself into PAL shorts to race little kids?"



From this quote, we learn Squeaky's father's age, thirty-five years old. We also learn that he pushes and challenges Squeaky to be a better runner. He races her after he gives her a head start, and acts like it's so easy to beat her that he can do it with his hands in his pockets and while whistling. PAL is an acronym that stands for Police Athletic League and is an organization in New York City that provides programs and positive interventions from police to youth in the city. So the reference to her father "stuffing himself into PAL shorts" means they were shorts designed for youth or teenagers, and they didn't fit her father. Readers can also infer from this reference that Squeaky's family doesn't have a lot of money. 


This quote also shows how Squeaky feels about her father. She admires him for his running prowess. He is a worthy opponent to her, and she is somewhat embarrassed by him, as well. She makes a point of saying that his ability to beat her is "private information" because she doesn't want people knowing her father stuffs himself into those shorts and races "little kids." 

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