What Does Raymond's Run Mean

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There are many different linguistic devices used in writing. These devices can give personality to the characters. Using colloquialism is a great way to express multiple feelings. Toni Cade Bambara used ample devices to characterize Hazel Elizabeth Deborah Parker. In Raymond’s Run by Toni Cade Bambara, Squeaky is portrayed as an immature girl through her words, use of slang to show her confidence, and the large amount of figurative language she uses to characterize her world. Despite the author omitting any mention of the protagonist’s age or grade level, her maturity can be inferred from the words and phrases she uses. On page one, she says, “The big kids call me.” The usage of this phrase indicates that she is below the age of ten as fifth …show more content…

Because of this, Squeaky seems to be a younger child who has not perfected her grammar. The immaturity of the protagonist is one of many concepts that her speech portrays. Along with her adolescent behavior, Hazel’s slang communicates her confidence. By writing in conversational language, the author shows Hazel self confidence to be present as usual. On page 4, she says, “.people ain’t grateful.”, instead of “people aren’t grateful.” This statement shows her strong-willed mind and straightforward attitude. Another instance of her informal tone is when she says, “.a lotta precious time.” instead of, “a lot of precious time.” This shows that she is not one for perfecting matters and would rather leave the mistakes present which portrays her high level of confidence. We can tell that Squeaky Squeaky has a large amount of self-assuredness which causes her to leave an impact on her world. Her heavy use of linguistic devices causes the reader to interpret Hazel’s world as old-fashioned. She also references her time-period relevant television exposure when she says, “... Dodge City scenes.” and compares Gretchen and herself to people in a Western

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