By the end of "Raymond's Run," Squeaky certainly changes her attitudes as she begins to see Raymond as a person in his own right, and she realizes that others, such as Gretchen, are not necessarily antagonistic toward her.
As she prepares to run in the May Day fifty-yard dash, Squeaky happens to notice her brother Raymond:
I see that ole Raymond is on line on the other side of the fence, bending down with his...
By the end of "Raymond's Run," Squeaky certainly changes her attitudes as she begins to see Raymond as a person in his own right, and she realizes that others, such as Gretchen, are not necessarily antagonistic toward her.
As she prepares to run in the May Day fifty-yard dash, Squeaky happens to notice her brother Raymond:
I see that ole Raymond is on line on the other side of the fence, bending down with his fingers on the ground just like he knew what he was doing.
The race begins, and Squeaky gives all her attention to winning; however, as she nears the finish line, she notices Raymond on the other side of the fence, running with his arms down and his palms turned up:
running in his very own style, and it’s the first time I ever saw that and I almost stop to watch my brother Raymond on his first run.
For the first time, after she crosses the finish line and wins the race, Squeaky does not celebrate her win; instead, she delights in what her brother has accomplished. She recognizes that he does, indeed, "know what he's doing." Squeaky is proud of Raymond and decides to focus on him as the winner rather than upon herself:
It occurred to me that Raymond would make a very fine runner. Doesn’t he always keep up with me...? And he surely knows how to breathe. . . if I’ve lost this race. . . or even if I’ve won, I can always retire as a runner and begin a whole new career as a coach with Raymond as my champion.
Clearly, Squeaky now perceives Raymond as a person in his own right whom she can serve, not as the brother she must protect and have as a dependent. Squeaky then looks at Gretchen and smiles, no longer considering her an adversary, but instead recognizing Gretchen's ability for the first time:
Cause she's good, no doubt about it. . . And she nods to congratulate me and then she smiles. And I smile. We stand there with this big smile of respect between us. It’s about as real a smile as girls can do.
Now, Squeaky perceives Gretchen in a positive light; in fact, she even considers asking her to help her coach Raymond. Squeaky's remarks directly contrast her earlier comments about the insincerity of smiles among girls. It is apparent that she has come to trust Gretchen, whereas before she suspected her of insincerity.
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