Would "The Big Gray Sky" or "A Little Southern Town" been a title for the story?
Scholars argue that the stories in "Bloodline" show the growth towards, and constraints on, manhood for the characters. How does James in "The Sky is Gray" precede towards manhood? How is he constrained in that movement?
While in the dentists waiting room, James encounters two opposing views on what African Americans should do to combat racism. The student and the preacher argue, and James says he wants to be like the student. WHy does he say this?
Much of Gaines' work appears to dread the encroachment of modernity on a rural location. DO you see any comment on this in "The Sky is Gray?" Does the story accept the coming of modernity?
Why does James' mother refuse the extra salt pork at the end of the story? What lesson is she trying to teach James?
The first few drafts of "The Sky is Gray" ended with "You not a bum,' she says." The final version ends with "You not a bum,' she says, 'You a man.'" How does the addition or subtraction of the last line affect the story's meaning?