“The Sky is Gray” is a short story written by an African American man named Ernest J. Gaines and first published in 1963. Ernest J. Gaines was born ands lived his first 15 years in a small town in Louisiana. After his 15th birthday, he moved to California to attend a high school, served in the US Army, and later attended two universities. He became a professor and began writing. Most of Gaines’s works are based on his childhood and heritage in rural Louisiana. In “The Sky is Gray,” Gaines introduces a young African American boy named James who lives with is family in extreme poverty in rural Louisiana. Gaines relates a few days of James’s life when he has a toothache and takes a trip to the dentist in town with his mother, to create a plot that may sound simple, but holds within it many underlying meanings.
In the story, the reader constantly sees the poor conditions that many-especially African Americans-in the early 1940’s had to endure. It is revealed that economic conditions made life so hard for people. One example is when James’s mother, Octavia, decides that she will take James to the dentist, and because of their lack of transportation, they will have to go on a public bus. Before their departure, there is a scene in which James’s mother is counting money for their trip. There is just enough for the trip to town and back, enough for paying the dentist, and enough for buying a very small portion of salt meat for the family. From this scene, the viewer can see the meager amount of assets that James and his family actually have. This was a time when every cent count for survival.
Another factor explored is that of racism. Because of the family’s extreme poverty, they most go to the most inexpensive dentist. When they go, they wait for hours to see the dentist. Then, a white nurse emerges from the back room and announces that the doctor will see no one else until 1:00 that afternoon. Despite the begging of Octavia, the nurse refuses to let James in to see the dentist. From the look of disdain on the nurse’s face, the viewer can understand that racism and class is playing a role in the nurse’s decision to not let James see the dentist.
James and his mother are forced to retreat out into the cold to wait for the reopening of the office. The viewer soon receives insight into Octavia’s sense of pride. As they wander through the streets, she can tell that James is freezing and hungry. She takes him into a hardware store, and she pretends to examine several handles while James warms his hands by the stove. Octavia knows that she has no intention of buying a handle, but wants to put up the exterior as if she is, so James can warm his hands. After she refused each handle that the store owner presents, she walks towards the door and in an authoritative tone commands, “Come James.” Octavia could have just wandered in to let James warm his hands, but she does not want to feel like she is taking “hand-outs” and she does not want to be looked down on by anyone.
When reading “The Sky is Gray,” the reader can almost feel the desolation of James and his family. The family is extremely poor. They are cold and do not have enough to eat. There are constant reminders of the hardships of this family. This is the significance of the title, “The Sky is Gray.” Gray usually brings thoughts of bleakness and depression. This is the top layer of meaning. Underlying, though, is an even deeper issue. It is racism and the way life was in that time period. There was only one way-the white way. Society was very close-minded and segregation was a dominant societal factor. The title symbolizes all of these issues.
Among the multiple meanings of “The Sky is Gray,” one of the predominant themes is “coming-of-age.” Throughout the story, there are symbols of James’s growing up and of his becoming more aware of issues in the world around him. One example would be when Octavia commands that he take a fork and kill the birds. James refuses with a look of horror on his face. Tears begin slowly streaming down his face and she begins beating him. James finally hesitantly crouches down and kills the bird. Although Octavia never explains to him, he relays to the reader that he understands why she made him do it. He will have to be the man of the house one day. He has to learn to be strong and take care of himself because in the future, he will probably be living in the same conditions as he is now. Another signifying coming-of-age factor is James’s secrecy and bravery with his toothache. Even though he is in extreme pain, he tries to keep his pain a secret so he does not look like a child or worry his mother. The reader can also feel sense his maturity and growing responsibility when they are walking along the street and his mother asks if he is hungry. He declines, even though he obviously is. James does his best to make life as easy as possible for his mother and family. He does not want to add any extra burdens to the already large load.
“The Sky is Gray” is an eye-opening story. It depicts how life was for many poor African Americans in the 1940’s South. Everyday they had to face racism, and yet try to possess some semblance of pride. The story uses the life of a young boy coming-of-age to portray a life when everything was “gray,” when everything was supposed to be unquestionably one way.
