The Sky Is Gray

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay. 

Scaffolded/Short-Answer Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the below bulleted outlines. Cite details from the story over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. How does Gaines evoke the setting of Civil Rights era Louisiana for the reader, aside from his mention of the capital Baton Rouge?

• How does Gaines evoke the setting of Civil Rights era Louisiana? (topic sentence)
• What symbols does Gaines employ to evoke this setting?
• Conclude with a response to the question: How does the reader know that the setting of this story is Civil Rights era Louisiana?

2. What is the symbolism of “gray” in the story’s title? What might it suggest about both the story’s mood and the story’s suggestions about a post-Jim Crow world?

• What is the symbolism of “gray” in the story’s title? (topic sentence)
• What does this symbol suggest about the story’s mood? What does this symbol suggest about a post-Jim Crow world?
• Conclude with a statement about the impact of Gray’s use of the symbol “gray.”

3. How does Gaines use birds, both the redbirds and “pool-doos,” as a metaphor?

• How does Gaines use birds as a metaphor? (topic sentence)
• How does Gaines use redbirds as a metaphor? How does Gaines use pool-doos as a metaphor?
• Conclude with a statement about the impact of Gaines’s use of bird metaphors on the story.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. How does Gaines underscore the generational divide between the upcoming Civil Rights activists and their elders? What does this divide suggest about the divisions that Black communities faced within?

2. How does Gaines convey a character’s race or social status through the uses of language (e.g., dialect)? What does this characterization signify about the society? How does language influence the theme of the story?

3. How does the narrative both depict the Old South and point to the modern South? What signs and symbols does Gaines use to construct this present and future dichotomy? Consider these questions from your perspective as a contemporary reader with the hindsight of history.