The Sky Is Gray

by Ernest J. Gaines

Start Free Trial

The Sky Is Gray Questions and Answers

In "The Sky is Gray" why does the young man say that the grass is black and the sky is pink, and turn the other cheek as the old man hits him?

What is the parent-child relationship in "The Sky is Gray"    

Describe the antagonist in Gaines' story.

What does Gaines establish by using the eight-year old boy, James, as the narrator who tells the story in the present tense and in his own dialect?

Discuss the different conflicts of the story.

What is the significance of Ernest Gaines setting "The Sky is Gray" during World War II?

What exemplifies the American national narrative in the story “The Sky is Gray” by Ernest J. Gaines? How do the African Americans relate to the American national narrative in the story?

In "The Sky is Gray", why does the old lady ask James to take the garbage can out when there is no trash in it?

What is a good thesis statement fort the short story "The Sky is Gray" by Ernest J. Gaines? 

Would you say James is a man in the story "The Sky is Gray"? Why or why not?

What does James learn about Jim Crow laws on his trip to town?

In "The Sky is Gray" by Erines Graines how would you describe the young man in the dentist's office?

Contrast the nurse’s behavior toward James and Octavia with the old lady’s treatment of them. What is the significance of this contrast?  

In "The Sky Is Gray," how are passivity and active agency used to work out problems?

 As a whole, is Gaines' work concerned with the character and society, human nature and values, or the nature of our existence? 

What is the difference between the old lady and Octavia in "The Sky is Gray"?

Does James' mother have to support the family by her self? "The Sky is Gray

What are the social rules observed in "The Sky Is Gray"?

What are some similarities and differences between "A Worn Path" and "The Sky Is Gray"?

What insight into life is revealed in "The Sky is Gray"?

How do you tie Kristeva's idea of unconscious with "The Sky is Gray"?