The Sky Is Gray

Use these links to supplement and complement students’ reading of the work and to increase their overall enjoyment of literature. Challenge them to discern parallel themes, engage through visual and aural stimuli, and delve deeper into the thematic possibilities presented by the title.

Recommended Texts for Pairing

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines

• Gaines’s epic novel about a woman who experiences Black southern American life during slavery, emancipation, civil rights, and beyond
• ties in to themes of life during Jim Crow and faith versus action
• The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman on Super Summary

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

• Gaines’s award-winning novel that explores the narratives of Black men in the 1940s on death row
• ties in to themes of life during Jim Crow, expressions of masculinity, and faith versus action
• A Lesson Before Dying on Super Summary

Black Boy by Richard Wright

• Richard Wright’s classic memoir about coming-of-age as a Black boy in the Jim Crow south
• ties in to themes of life during Jim Crow and expressions of masculinity
• Black Boy on Super Summary

Other Student Resources

“I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr.

• Dr. King’s iconic speech advocating for the equal rights of Black Americans
• ties in to the theme of faith versus action
• "I Have a Dream" Speech on Super Summary

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

• the first play by a Black woman to open on Broadway, A Raisin in the Sun tells the story of a Black family struggling with financial security
• ties in to themes of life during Jim Crow, expressions of masculinity, and faith versus action
• A Raisin in the Sun on Super Summary

Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination by Toni Morrison

• Toni Morrison’s series of lectures turned essays that explore and analyze the portrayal of white and Black life in American literature
• ties in to themes of life during Jim Crow, expressions of masculinity, and faith versus action
• Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination on Super Summary

Teacher Resources

University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ernest J. Gaines Center

• website of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette center for the study of Ernest J. Gaines
• includes a biography of Gaines, and other resources

Ernest J. Gaines Obituary

• New York Times obituary of Ernest J. Gaines
• describes his life and work