In the stories "Raymond's Run" and "Gorilla My Love," Toni Cade Bambara, writes about unusual heroines - both called Hazel. However the character in "Raymond's Run," is known as and is referred to as Squeaky, mainly because of her voice, and because of the way that she is presented. To the reader, it seems to fit her personality as well as her appearance. Both girls are, to a certain extent unusual because of the way they express themselves and the way that they behave. Trust and respect are also very significant issues raised in both of the stories. Squeaky illustrates how essential respect is in her life and both stories demonstrate strong references to African American culture and protest at discrimination against black people. Dignity is also put across as a critical necessity for both of their lives - they want respect from everyone including their teachers, parents, and classmates. Toni Cade Bambara also expresses different aspects of their culture and explores the question, "Are they really heroines?".
The two girls are quite similar characters, but on the other hand, they live completely different lives. Squeaky lives in Harlem, a very urban area of NewYork, where she experiences a tough life, while Hazel lives in the rural south, a place of racial discrimination. Nevertheless, their lives are still somewhat alike because of the way that their families treat them and what they expect and demand from other people, which is respect. They appear to have nearly identical personalities, but in spite of this, when you look closer at them they have fairly different qualities and behave in relatively different ways. .
Racism is still an important issue in both of their lives because of where they live and because of their appearance. Both girls are obviously black, and are not ashamed to be. They are proud of it and want to celebrate being black, not be self-conscious about it. This is called black pride, and is another crucial part of their lives, mainly because of the ways they are treated.
