The Sky Is Gray

These prompts can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before or after reading the short story.

Personal Response Prompt

What are some of the ways in which institutions can get in the way of your wellbeing? In what ways can these same institutions improve your wellbeing? Consider health infrastructures, school systems, and employment when thinking through this question.

Teaching Suggestion: Depending on student demographics, answers to this question will vary. This question is less about criticizing institutions and more about considering the pros and cons of living in a society that is built on access to institutions. This question can be asked before, after, or during reading, but it would be productive as a pre-reading exercise so that students can be attuned to the issue of infrastructure while reading.

Post-Reading Analysis

Is charity the best way to help people who suffer from poverty? Consider the acts of kindness people do for James and his mother in the story and consider the ways in which his mother responds to this charity. STRETCH: Make a connection between the issue of charity in this story and charity as it exists in contemporary society.

Teaching Suggestion: The dichotomy between James’s mother’s needs and her fortitude is an important conflict in this story.