Précis: The sky is Gray by Ernest J. Gaines
             James, an eight-year-old boy, lives in the outskirts of Bayonne in a farming community with his mother, auntie, and siblings. His father has been drafted into the war, World War II, so his mother has to try to support the family by working in the fields. His mother tries to teach him to fight starvation, cold, and hardship with pride.
             James has a very bad tooth ache, but he does not tell his mother because she would say he was acting like a crybaby. His mother finds out about the tooth and has just enough money for the trip to Bayonne and back, to get the tooth pulled, and some salt meat.
             While James and his mother wait for the bus, James starts to think about how much he loves his mother. He wants to tell her and hug her but he knows she would see that as a sign of weakness. He remembers once that his mother wanted him to kill two blackbirds so they could eat them. He couldn't do it and his mother got very mad and hit him many times. At the time, James did not understand her actions, but now James knows that she was trying to teach him how to be more of a man.
             The dentist office is very busy, and James and his mother patiently wait their turn. As soon as one person goes in another person comes in their place. In the waiting room they overhear a preacher arguing with a young man. The young man says that the trouble with society today, is that we don't question enough things. Everything should be questioned, even God. This makes the preacher so mad he hits the young man, and then leaves. The young man says that didn't change anything and continues on reading.
             A nurse in the dentist office tells everyone that the office will be closed for lunch and that they must come back later. This makes James's mother very angry because she wanted to get home early to go to work. She asks the nurse to let James be taken care of right away, but the nurse tells James&apo...