The Long-Distance Runner by Grace Paley
"The Long-Distance Runner" by Grace Paley follows the character Faith, who, in her early forties, embarks on a journey through her childhood neighborhood, now predominantly inhabited by African Americans. As she jogs through the area, she becomes enveloped by a large crowd, leading to a surreal dialogue filled with humor and diverse topics. A Girl Scout named Cynthia becomes involved, expressing fear and vulnerability regarding her mother's protection amidst a backdrop of societal tensions. When they approach Faith’s old home, apprehension grips her, prompting her to fabricate a story about her mother's death to avoid the confrontation. The narrative explores themes of race, identity, and the challenges of communication across cultural divides. Faith stays with Mrs. Luddy and her family for three weeks, fostering connections while reflecting on her past and the complexities of her current life. Upon returning home, her attempts to share her transformative experience with her own family are met with confusion, highlighting the disconnect between her inner journey and their understanding. Ultimately, the story invites readers to consider the nature of personal experiences and the challenges of reconciling memories with present realities.
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The Long-Distance Runner by Grace Paley
First published: 1974
Type of plot: Fantasy
Time of work: The early 1970's
Locale: New York City
Principal Characters:
Faith , the narrator, a middle-aged woman who takes up long-distance runningJack , her boyfriendRichard , andAnthony , her sonsCynthia , an African American Girl ScoutMrs. Luddy , an African American woman
The Story
Faith explains that one day in her early forties, she became a long-distance runner, because she wanted to travel around the county, including the old neighborhood streets. One day Faith kisses her sons goodbye and travels to her childhood neighborhood, now populated primarily by African Americans. As she jogs through the area, she is suddenly surrounded by a few hundred African Americans, and there occurs a surreal, at times humorous, discussion of a number of unrelated subjects between Faith and the large crowd. A Girl Scout named Cynthia volunteers to take Faith to Mrs. Luddy, who lives in the apartment where Faith spent her childhood.
As they approach Mrs. Luddy's residence, Faith becomes apprehensive and states that she no longer wants to see her old home. She lies to Cynthia, telling her that she does not want to see her mother's house right now because her mother has died. The idea of her own mother dying terrifies Cynthia. She becomes lachrymose and reveals that her mother is her protector, who will not let the pushers and other dangerous people get her. Trying to reassure her, Faith tells Cynthia that the girl can come live with her and her two nearly grown-up boys if her mother dies. Apparently Cynthia has been warned by her mother that white boys have sinister sexual intentions, and she assumes that this "honky lady" has some perverse scheme in mind. She begins screaming for help, fearing that Faith plans to kidnap her. Hearing the voices of large boys coming to rescue Cynthia, Faith runs in fear to Mrs. Luddy's door. Mrs. Luddy allows the unknown white woman to enter her home. She orders her son, Donald, to hide the white lady under his bed; when someone knocks on the door, the boy sends him away.
Faith lives with Mrs. Luddy and her family for three weeks and helps her take care of three little girls and befriends Donald. She develops some rapport with Mrs. Luddy, and they discuss a number of matters, including the problematical relationship between the sexes. One morning Mrs. Luddy wakes up Faith and informs her that it is time for her to return home, to which Faith agrees. Near home, Faith jogs through a playground and sees a dozen young mothers handling their children carefully and says to them, "In fifteen years, you girls will be like me, wrong in everything." She does not say it maliciously but to prepare them.
Faith's boyfriend, Jack, and her sons, Richard and Anthony, do not seem particularly concerned about her three-week absence. Anthony leaves to visit his friends in various institutions, a task that often occupies him into the evening. When Faith explains to Richard that she has spent a few weeks in her childhood apartment, he responds by asking her what she is talking about. When she tries to explain her experience to Anthony and Jack, they cannot understand what she is talking about either.
Having failed to communicate her experience to her boyfriend and her sons, Faith ends the story by appealing to the reader for understanding: "Have you known it to happen much nowadays? A woman inside the steamy energy of middle age runs and runs. She finds the houses and streets where her childhood happened. She lives in them. She learns as though she was still a child what in the world is coming next."
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