The writer examines the coming-of-age story The Sky is Gray by Ernest J. Gaines. The paper is five pages long and there are four sources listed in the bibliography.
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dentist. But, at the same time it is also a very powerful story about one boy reaching a point in his life where he begins to notice the social and
spiritual interactions between the people around him. It is a story of one young boys journey to a place where he takes notice, learns from what he sees, and begins
his journey into adulthood. In the following paper we examine Gaines short story, focusing on the factors that are signaling his transition from boy to man. Boy to
Man From the very beginning of the story we understand that James is a young Black boy who is being held responsible for some of the structure of the family.
He is being raised, along with a brother, by his mother. His father is away and as such James is put in a position where, even though he is
very young, he is the man of the house. This essentially sets the stage for the growth to come. For, if James were not considered to be the man of
the house, to some extent, he would not have the mind set that would allow him, or perhaps force him, to see the social world around him, and to see
the conditions of life. If he were a young boy with no responsibilities he would have been focused on his environment in a very immature way, perhaps looking at shop
windows for toys, and essentially playing away the day. But, because he is, first and foremost, in the position as the man of the house, so to speak, he has
a responsibility to see that world around him. In this very subtle, yet powerful setting we find that the boy is ready to experience the world. We see this