Explain all the different meanings of the term “runner” as it is used in this novel.

Running is a way of to deal with poverty, grief, and violence. Early in the novel, Charlie comments on how his desire to no longer be cold provoked him to take up running as a means of generating heat; he likens being cold to being poor, as people in the Richmond slums have no money to properly insulate or heat their homes. By association, Charlie is not only trying to outrun the cold, he is trying to outrun his poverty. For Charlie, the fastest and easiest way of escaping poverty is to work for Squizzy Taylor, who, in exchange for the danger and moral compromise the job involves, pays him far more than any honest job Charlie could attain. What Charlie doesn't realize is how Squizzy exploits the desperation that arises from his poverty, just as Mr. Peacock exploits Ma's reliance on him for firewood. It is this desire to run away from the impoverished circumstances of his life that leads Charlie to eventually secure enough money to buy his own timber yard, meaning he and his family will no longer have to be cold or have to rely on predatory people who seek to exploit them.