Identity

From the beginning, Hazel strongly voices her identity as an athlete—"Miss Quicksilver herself"— and establishes her outspoken assertiveness: "no one can beat me and that's all there is to it." At the same time, the story shows that Hazel's identity has been and continues to be hard won. To become a good runner, she has had to persevere with her practicing, sometimes carving time for herself out of the hours she spends looking after her mentally challenged brother, Raymond. Caring for her brother is no easy task either, and in some ways sets her apart from others. Her confrontation with Gretchen's "sidekicks" demonstrates her loyalty to her brother and her readiness to challenge those who would tease or belittle him. Although she scorns girls who dress up in white organdy for the May Pole dancing, it is also true that Hazel "can't afford to buy...