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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. Where do James and Ty sit to hear Monsieur Bayonne play?

2. In Chapter 3, what didn't Ty do before he started eating his breakfast?

3. Which bus does Mama say they are coming back on?

4. Who says "white beans and no salt meat ain't white beans"?

5. Where is James when he is beside Monsieur Bayonne?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does James say he had to kill the redbird?

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

3. What other thing does Monsieur Bayonne do besides praying to help James' jaw?

4. How does James describe the sleet that is falling?

5. Where do Mama and James go to get warm and what does Mama do to make sure James has enough time to get warm?

6. What does Mama and Auntie decide to do with the left over fifty cents Mama will have?

7. 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?

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

9. Who does James say he wants to be like when he grows up and what will he have?

10. Why does the young man hope that all young black men are not like him?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

The author, Ernest J. Gaines does a wonderful job in describing the outdoor surroundings and scenes in the story. What benefit do these descriptions give the reader of The Sky is Gray? How does it make you feel when you can picture the cold wintry scene in your head and know that Mama and James are having to walk in the cold, wet sleet? Why do you think it was important to give details of the dirt road, the river, and other objects in the story? What element does this add to the story? Does it connect the reader to the characters more? How?

Essay Topic 3

Even though James' Daddy was sent away to the Army, he still plays a very important role in the story, The Sky is Gray. How would the story be different if James' Daddy was still at home? Which characters would be affected the most by his presence in the household? How do you think the story would be different if Jame's Daddy was not mentioned in the book or if he had died? How does Daddy's absence affect Mama? How does Daddy's absence affect James? Do you think that Daddy's absence affects other characters in the book? Who and how?

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