The Sky Is Gray

The Sky Is Gray Summary | Chapter 1 Summary

The Sky is Gray, by Ernest Gaines, opens with a young boy and his mother waiting for a bus. The boy watches anxiously, but the mother is looking back from where they came. The road is just an old gravel road out in the country, with weeds, trees, fences, and cows on both sides. It's so cold out that the boy can see the steam from the cows' nostrils, as they breathe.

The boy is extremely attuned to his mother, even stating that he knows what she's thinking about. At that moment, he believes that she's thinking about how things are going back at the home they've left. He knows that his mother is worrying about whether his "auntie" has enough wood to keep them warm, and whether she can take care of the other members of his family while they're gone. He mentions Ty and Val, and then states that his mother never has to worry when he is left in charge of things, because he's the oldest, and she tells him he's "the man."

The mother is wearing a black coat and hat and looks very sad. Even though the boy wants to comfort her by putting his arm around her and telling her he loves her, he does not do it. His mother has taught him that showing emotion is for crybabies. It's a sign of weakness. He comments that his mother has whipped his brother Ty, because he is afraid of ghosts. The boy knows that he can't cry or show fear, so he doesn't tell his mother when he develops a terrible toothache. Ty notices, but the narrator refuses to talk, keeping his mouth shut, partly because it hurts so badly when the air hits his tooth. Kept awake at nights because of the pain, the boy listens to Ty in the bed beside him, and to his Auntie and his sister Val, who sleep in the same room. He just feels the hurt of his bad tooth.