Friendship is a specific skill that is not inherent to many people. Bambara and Shepard demonstrated personal stories about friendship during childhood in their short stories called Raymond’s Run and Spending the Night with the Poor. These two works are great examples of friendship problems that are common for children and teenagers worldwide. The world has always been divided into contradictory groups, but this issue only progresses with time.
Bambara’s story shows that it is difficult for children that are used to always protecting someone or even themselves to perceive people around them as their potential friends. Gretchen is only an opponent for Hazel because she is her brother’s protector and a runner but does not accept feminine gender roles. Hazel thinks that “girls never really smile at each other because they do not know how and do not want to know how” (Bambara 9). However, she recognizes Raymond’s potential after the race and calls Gretchen a worthwhile opponent.
Another short story tells the reader about an attempt by two girls to be friends. One of them is poor (Crystal), and another one is rich (Lynn). Both of the stories show us flawed characters that struggle to have friends. Crystal was the reason Lynn stayed in a dance class. However, when Lynn saw how Crystal’s family lived, she could not continue to be friends with her. Lynn’s habitual life and high expectations have become obstacles for her to becoming friends with Crystal.
To conclude, these two short stories demonstrate the issues children have in friendship. Most of the time, these problems are not related to their nature, but to the world they live in and the ideas they were taught. The issue of stratification only progresses with time and divides people into social groups from which it is difficult to get out.
Work Cited
Barbara, Toni Cade. Gorilla, My Love. Random House New York, 1972.