Comparing The Sky Is Gray And Raymond's Run

Readers typically enjoy a work of literature more when it is something they are able to relate to. The short stories, “The Sky is Gray,” by Ernest Gaines and “Raymond’s Run,” by Toni Cade Bambara both encompass young children who have figured out the cruel and unjust world around them. Both written by African-American individuals and published in the late 20th century, the stories give us a look into the lives of colored individuals, specifically children, in this case. The two protagonists, James who is eight and Hazel who is twelve seem to learn to sacrifice for those they care for. At such a young age, they discover how to be truly altruistic, James towards his mother and Hazel towards her brother. Due to their different geographic locations, the manner in which they must handle themselves is very different, yet their level of maturity appears to be parallel. Both stories do take place at a time where racial discrimination is very active towards the black community. The implications of this separation influenced the ways the characters had to grow up. James specifically, has more serious effects due to …show more content…
Her confidence has really played a big part in helping her develop her level of maturity, which ultimately allows for her ability to care of her brother. She has lost that innocence that children have when they are filled with hope and are naive. She goes on in the story to describe herself, in paragraph 14, as “a poor Black girl who really cant afford to buy shoes and a new dress you only wear once a lifetime.” She questions why her mother isn’t happy that she doesn’t want to do girly activities because Hazel thinks it’s such a waste of money and time. Her advanced outlook on life has not only influenced her development, but has impacted the level of care she conveys to her