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Allusions
Foil
Explanation and Analysis—Cynthia:
In “Raymond’s Run,” Cynthia is a foil for Squeaky, meaning that the way her character is different from Squeaky illuminates important qualities about Squeaky's character. The following passage captures the two girls’ differences:
Now you take Cynthia Procter for instance. She’s just the opposite. If there’s a test tomorrow, she’ll say something like, “Oh, I guess I’ll play handball this afternoon and watch television tonight,” just to let you know she ain’t thinking about the test. [...] I could kill people like that. I stay up all night studying the words for the spelling bee.
In this passage, Squeaky notes how Cynthia is the “opposite” of her in that she acts like she “ain’t thinking about the test” they have in class tomorrow (choosing to play games and watch television instead of studying), while Squeaky typically “stay[s] up all night studying” for things like tests and spelling bees. When compared with Cynthia, Squeaky comes across as hard-working and authentic, while Cynthia comes across as indolent and arrogant.
This foil dynamic is important in helping readers understand the ways that Squeaky does not follow certain gender norms—while girls are supposed to achieve their goals calmly and with ease, Squeaky works tirelessly and is not afraid to show it.
Related Themes:
