Reputation, Respect, and Identity Theme Analysis

Squeaky is an independent, headstrong girl who’s at odds with a society that values strict adherence to social norms. While her parents and teachers expect her to be docile and feminine, Squeaky insists on being herself: she won’t wear dresses, she has rituals that seem odd to others (like constantly practicing running and performing breathing exercises in public), and she spends all her time with her disabled brother, Raymond, whose appearance and behavior expose both him and Squeaky to ridicule. To defend Raymond and to garner the respect of others, Squeaky adopts a mean and tough reputation, someone willing to trade insults or brawl when challenged. She presents herself as formidable and willing to fight, but for all her tough talk, readers never actually see her engage in violence in the story. From Squeaky’s narration and actions toward others, it’s clear that she’s actually a thoughtful, sensitive young girl—far from the abrasive persona she projects to the world. Through Squeaky’s inner thoughts and her change of heart at the end of the story, Bambara makes the case that often, seemingly tough individuals are putting on a false persona to protect themselves and win others’ admiration—and that such people are better off being honest about their true selves if they want to earn people’s sincere respect.

Squeaky postures as tough in order to protect herself and Raymond. From the start, readers get the sense that Squeaky is compensating for the fact that she’s a self-described “little girl with skinny arms and a squeaky voice.” Others seem to view her the same way, given that these qualities are what led to her nickname.  Because of Squeaky’s size and voice and Raymond’s disability (he’s “not quite right” mentally), the siblings are at risk of being ridiculed, and so Squeaky is quick to boast that she’s “the quickest thing on two feet” and that she’s not afraid to “knock you down right from the jump” if anyone tries to harass her or Raymond. Squeaky’s eagerness to fight is, at least partially, a reaction to the neighborhood bullies who torment Raymond and the trio of girls—Gretchen, Mary Louise, and Rosie—who are rude to Squeaky. In this way, her tough persona seems to be a defense mechanism, a way of protecting herself and Raymond and of earning respect from others.

But as the story progresses, it becomes evident that the reputation Squeaky tries to project stems out of a general feeling of being unaccepted. It’s gradually revealed that people misunderstand and mistreat Squeaky because they disapprove of her behavior: her mother is embarrassed when Squeaky does her exercises in public, both her parents seemingly ignore her because they’re disappointed that she’s not feminine enough, and her classmates taunt her because they’re jealous of her talent as a runner. Squeaky’s teacher Mr. Pearson even suggests that Squeaky should purposely lose the annual May Day race in order to give the other girls a chance. The story also alludes to the fact that Squeaky used to live in “the country” surrounded by nature, and that she hates “the concrete jungle” of Harlem where she now lives. Readers can infer, then, that Squeaky’s toughness is really a front for her fears and feelings of dissatisfaction and alienation. Her persona is defensive rather than offensive—she projects bravado and aggression because she feels the need to shield herself against other people’s disapproval. Squeaky is adamant that she only wants to be herself: “a poor Black girl” who is wholeheartedly dedicated to running rather than more traditionally feminine activities like dancing. Thus, the expectations and pressure to conform that others place on Squeaky drive her to close herself off and adopt a façade of toughness to protect the identity and passions that she holds dear.

Ultimately, though, Squeaky realizes that she doesn’t have to be tough and antagonistic to protect Raymond or to have an identity of her own. The reader can infer that she’s actually somewhat timid—after all, Squeaky never actually fights anyone in the story. She even considers ducking into a nearby store when she sees Gretchen and her sidekicks approaching rather than facing them directly, a reaction that contradicts Squeaky’s fearless persona. And in the end, Squeaky, too, seems to realize that the false reputation she tries to convey isn’t helpful to her or to Raymond. During the 50-yard dash at the May Day celebration, Squeaky is awestruck when she sees Raymond running on the other side of the fence, gracefully keeping pace with her. This inspires Squeaky’s sudden desire to quit running altogether and to coach Raymond instead—she seems to understand that helping Raymond embrace his talent will be more productive for both of them than trying to intimidate bullies or garner bragging rights through winning races. After the race results are announced, Squeaky even smiles at Gretchen (who narrowly placed second)—and Gretchen briefly smiles back. The girls were bitter enemies up until this point, but both seem to genuinely respect and admire each other in this moment. Through this simple but significant gesture, it’s clear that Squeaky has come to realize that living in fear of others’ opinions of her and intimidating people into respecting her is a hollow pursuit. Rather, genuine respect and a true sense of identity are found when one shows others respect, celebrates other people’s triumphs, and pursues one’s own passions honestly and unabashedly—just like Raymond does.