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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the little boy's name that is waiting in the dentist office?

2. What color coat does the girl have on that is sitting across from James on the bus?

3. Why doesn't James want to open his mouth at night?

4. What kind of prayers does James claim he is saying?

5. In Chapter 3, what does James do when he gets up in the morning?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of the things that James and his mother pass before they arrive at the dentist's office?

2. What does James think about when he looks up at his Mama while they are waiting in the dentist's office?

3. What does James think about when he is so cold he feels like he's going to die?

4. Why does James close his eyes while he's walking with his Mama back to the dentist's office and what happens when he closes his eyes?

5. Describe the sleeping arrangements in James' home.

6. Why does James look at the nurse all pitiful?

7. Why does the preacher ask the young man to stand up?

8. When the preacher asks the young man about his parents, what does the young man tell the preacher?

9. What does Mama do when James says he doesn't want to kill the second bird?

10. What does Mama suggest James kill the redbird with and what does she do when he doesn't want to kill the bird?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In the story, The Sky is Gray, we see examples of segregation where white people go one place and black people go to another place to have the same things done or to do the same things. Discuss the different ways that segregation is used in the story and how this affects the different characters in the book.

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the story, The Sky is Gray, James and his mother are almost always together. Describe Octavia and James' relationship. Would you consider their relationship to be a normal mother/son connection? Why or why not? How does James feel about his mother? How does Octavia feel about her son? Why doesn't Octavia express her love for James and do you think she really loves him?

Essay Topic 3

There are times in the story, The Sky is Gray where there is conflict between two or more of the characters. Name someone that James has a conflict with. Why does a conflict arise and how is it resolved? Name someone that Mama has a conflict with. Why does this conflict arise and how is it resolved? How do these two conflicts affect each character? Use specific examples in the book to support your views.

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