She may not like hugs and sentimental words, but she shows her affection in other, less obvious ways. Octavia teaches her son to be resilient in the face of his tough love. The last line of The Sky is Gray is “'You're not a tramp,' she said. ‘You’re a man’” (Gaines 14). This line is, in its own way, Octavia telling her son that she is proud of him. James is becoming the man she wants him to be. Unfortunately, due to his race, James may face many difficulties in his life. But thanks to his mother, he will be ready to survive and hopefully overcome these