Critical Analysis of the Story The Sky is Gray by Ernest Gaines Essay

Critical Analysis of the Story The Sky is Gray by Ernest GainesThe title of the tommyrot The Sky is Gray by Ernest Gaines is ironic. It suggests at first the bleak mood of the degree alone also hints at hope in the incoming. Just as the clouds clear after a storm, James finds out on his trip to Bayonne that the stormy clouds that are his life are parting to let some temperateness through. Throughout the whole story, a in truth bleak mood is portrayed. The setting contributes to this gloominess. For example, the weather is awful. James, seeing how c overage it was, said, I seen the smoke coming out o the cows nose. Later he says, The sleet keep falling. Falling like rain now- plenty, plenty. Once James turns up his collar to protect himself from the very windy conditions that also exist throughout the story. Another sign of the storys gloominess is the fact that many of its scenes are without color. For example, the road in this story is very gray Its a long old road , and fars you prat see you dont see nothing but gravel, as James put it. James also lets it be known that the sky is gray and that there isnt much grass. Even the clothing that they vesture is very dull-colored James mother is wearing that black coat and that black hat. The story suck ins place during a war, which contributes to the overall gloomy setting of the story. I wonderment when us gon see him againLook like he aint ever coming home, James laments, showing that his get down went into the war and most likely is dead. The fathers absence leaves his family without adequate food, money, or manpower. The familys poverty (which is partially due to the fathers absence) makes their future seem hopeless. The family lives in a poor, rural area, which was typical of black persons of their time. The family is crowded into a small, shabby home, so they must share rooms and beds. The familys change state are quite shabby too, for when James sees a mannequin in a store with new brown shoes, he looks at his own old shoes and thinks, You wait till Summer The family does not even have enough money for some of lifes other necessities, such as food and medical care. For example, they eat bread and syrup every day for breakfast and as James younger brother, Ty, said, Im getting jade of this old syrup. I want me some bacon sometime. Beans are another bland food that J... ...le also recognizes James and his mothers dignity. The woman lets James take her trash to the corner in exchange for the food (Ernest her husband has a bad cold and cant go out there.). However, when James lifts the cans, he can feel that they are empty. When James and his mom are leaving, she asks the old lady if she sells salt meat (seeing that the old womans house is also a store). The old lady does, and Mama asks for two bits worth. The old woman knows that this isnt much, so she tries to give mama more than her moneys worth. Mama notices this, so the old lady, trying to restore mama s pride, eventually gives her the correct amount of salt meat for her money. Throughout the story, James begins to pass his mothers tests for being a man of the household. For example, James doesnt show the pain of his toothache, trying to appear strong for his family. Hes also learning to kill his fear, which shows in the bird event. The biggest test of all perhaps is when James learns that dignity (youre not a bum, youre a man) is more key than the chill wind. The reader is left hoping with James that soon the sun may finally peak through the clouds in his life.