Listen as ernest gaines reads the ending lines from the sky is gray. The sky is gray and almos a man, theme comparison essay. The sky is gray by ernest gaines gives insight and perspective into the life of a lower class, black boy in the 1930s. Critical analysis of the story the sky is gray by ernest. Gaines and other kinds of academic papers in our essays database at many essays. At first, this did not necessarily strike me as anything warranting further exploration since the narrative comes to us from the point of view of an eightyearold boy. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Character analysis of octavia in the sky is gray by ernest. Abraham lincoln said to harriet beecher stowe upon meeting her, so this is the little lady. In his frequently anthologized short story the sky is gray, ernest j. In the sky is gray gaines shows how poverty has caused jamess maturity to grow, while in almos a man wright shows how dave tries to prove his maturity by purchasing a gun. You also hear a short intro from henry fonda about the author and film. Scholars argue that the stories in bloodline show the growth towards, and. Some forms of criticism, such has new historicism, are obvious within the work while others, such a feminist approach, may be inclusive yet subtle.
Gaines james, an eightyearold boy, lives in the outskirts of bayonne in a farming community with his mother, auntie, and siblings. The sky is gray by ernest gaines perspectives on african. Gaines the sky is gray commentary by karen bernardo. Gaines this study guide consists of approximately 53 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to. In the sky is gray james learns the art from his mother, octavia. Just as the clouds clear after a storm, james finds out on his trip to. Three life lessons that james learned the story the sky is gray by ernest gaines is about a day in the life of a mother and son. An analysis of james character in the sky is gray by ernest. Octavia shows the characteristics of a good parent by being stern, loving, and independent. With olivia cole, james bond iii, margaret avery, cleavon little. Gaines this study guide consists of approximately 53 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of the sky is gray. Written during the most turbulent years of the civil rights movement, the stories in bloodline describe a less.
James is an eightyearold black boy who lives in a rural area of the south. His 1993 novel, a lesson before dying, won the national book critics circle award for fiction. Gainess the sky is gray during the neh summer institute a couple of weeks ago, one of the participants, dianna shank, pointed out the ambivalent use of the pronoun they throughout. His 1993 novel, a lesson before dying, won the national book critics. The mother is apprehensive to take any help given and james doesnt want to ask his mother for anything. This guide will give you information about ernest j. Jul 16, 2010 the sky is gray by ernest gaines ernest gaines is one of my favorite writers, and the sky is gray 1963 is one of my favorite short stories. Jamess mother accompanies her son to town to see about the boys nagging toothache, and his journey soon becomes an eyeopening odyssey. This finding aid was produced using the archivists. A long day in novemberthe sky is graythree menbloodline just like. The five stories in ernest gaines bloodline explore various stages of life from the perspective of poor african americans in the early 20th century. The sky is gray source for information on the sky is gray by ernest j. James, the narrator of ernest gaines the sky is gray, is a black child living outside bayonne, louisiana during the second world war. Gaines and his inspirations slavery was a big part of american life in the southern united states until the mid1800s.
The story can be analyzed through many different types of criticism. A critique of the sky is gray the short story, the sky is gray, by ernest j gaines, is an initiation story told from the point of view of an eleven year old boy, james. Gaines was thirty in 1963, the year in which the sky is gray was first published, but it was not until five years later, in 1968, that the story was published as the second story in bloodline, the thematically interwoven collection with which readers associate it today. As rendered by gaines, this country becomes as familiar, and as haunted by cruelty, suffering, and courage, as ralph ellisons harlem or faulkners yoknapatawpha county. As rendered by gaines, this country becomes as familiar, and as haunted by cruelty, suffering, and courage, as ralph ellisons harlem or faulkners.
Gaines papers, 1955 page 3 summary information repository dupre archives at creator author gaines, ernest j. Gaines is a master of the dialect of his home region of southern louisiana, and he uses this skill to good advantage in the sky is gray. His father has been drafted into the war, world war ii, so his mother has to try to support the family by working in the f. James seems like anything but a childhood, his mind is plagued with worries and concerns that often belong in the adult realm. The book, the sky is gray written by ernest gaines, is the story of young james and his mother, octavia, and their trip into town to see a dentist. Ernest gaines collection of five short stories bloodline, 1968 depicts the. Gaines, is split into thirteen sections, each of which describe part of half a day in jamess life. Gaines and the gaines center at the university of louisiana at lafayette. The boys tooth started to ache extremely bad, after praying and other stuff, his mom decides to bring him to get his tooth fixed and he doesnt want to because he knows they do not have much money. Gainess the sky is gray june 21, 2016 january 26, 2017 matthew teutsch as we discussed ernest j. The family is portrayed as being poor, as were most blacks in those days, and the father was recruited by the army, leaving the mother to be the sole provider for the family. Gaines presents a fictionalized account of a series of events that occurred in 1940s.
Gaines center the sky is gray enter search words search our research guides. An analysis of james character in the sky is gray by. The sky is gray research paper and american literature. In the sky is gray, racial prejudice operates in the typically unfair and organized manner. The first two stories are told from the perspective of a child, the second from the perspective of a 19yearold, the fourth from the perspective of a 70yearold, and the final from a variety of quickly shifting perspectives.
Octavia overcomes the hardships of segregation and poverty while doing so. You can also watch a 1979 film adaptation of the short story. The story takes place during the 1940s in louisiana in which segregation is a real, hard fact of life. Four of his works were made into television movies. In these five stories, ernest gaines returns to the cane fields, sharecroppers shacks, and decaying plantation houses of louisiana, the terrain of his great novels a gathering of old men and a lesson before dying. You not a bum, you a man the father figure is away, so the mother and son must fend for themselves as the military give them little for his service. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the sky is gray by ernest j. Few books can truly be said to have altered the course of history, and even fewer can be said to have started an entire war. Gaines the sky is gray, octavia finds out the hard way.
Of gaines s other works, bloodline 1976, a collection of five short stories, stands out for its powerful portrayals of young men in search of selfrespect and dignity. Set in louisiana, octavia is forced to raise her family by herself when her husband is sent off to war. A young boy named james comes of age in 1940s louisiana and grapples with what it means to be black during a time of racism and poverty. Gaines and almos a man by richard wright, the two main characters display different levels of maturity. The life in the sky comes down essays stories essaystory. The sky is gray the sky is gray research papers discuss a book by ernest gaines about the life of a mother and son and the lessons she teaches him. Offers an adaptation of ernest gaines short story the sky is gray about a young black farmboys dawning of awareness about himself and society. Gainess the sky is gray during the neh summer institute a couple of weeks ago, one of the participants, dianna shank, pointed out the ambivalent use of the pronoun they throughout the text. Gaines, the sky is gray, is a story of a woman during world war ii, who is faced with the challenges of raising and providing for her family financially in the absent of her husband because of the war. Although there are several interesting aspects of the story, id like to focus on theme and family structure for this discussion. A 5 page paper which examines the transition from boyhood to manhood in the story the sky is gray by ernest j. In the short story the sky is gray written by ernest gaines, the author tells a story about a boy being raised in a racist society and how he coped with it. Ernest james gaines january 15, 1933 november 5, 2019 was an american author whose works have been taught in college classrooms and translated into many languages, including french, spanish, german, russian and chinese. Critical analysis of the story the sky is gray by ernest gaines the title of the story the sky is gray by ernest gaines is ironic.
Gaines spent his life writing about african americans from their time in bondage to the time of his childhood growing up in south louisiana. Would the big gray sky or a little southern town been a title for the story. The sky is gray and sonnys blues in my freshman english class. See more ideas about louisiana plantations, abandoned plantations and southern plantation homes. A long day in november, the sky is gray, three men, bloodline, and just like a tree.
Critical analysis of the story the sky is gray by ernest gaines. Gaines is best known for his third novel, the autobiography of miss jane pittman 1971, which recounts her latterday observations of living in a racially torn louisiana through the century between the war between the states and the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Finally, take some time to watch as ernest gaines talks about his background and discusses his novel a lesson before dying part of the national endowment for the arts program the big read. Gaines papers, 1955date bulk bulk, 19701999 date inclusive 19552009 extent 19. The sky is gray by ernest gaines ernest gaines is one of my favorite writers, and the sky is gray 1963 is one of my favorite short stories. Character analysis of octavia in the sky is gray by ernest j.
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