Analysis Of Jan Johnson's ' The Soul Wound '

To begin, music exhibits serenity to the most timid of people in times of distraught. In The

The novel is able to share how music is of great importance and is able to affect people’s moods and thoughts.

The story “Sonny’s Blues” By James Baldwin is about a jazz musician and his brother in 1950’s Harlem. The story centers on Sonny who uses jazz music as an escape from his depression. James Baldwin captures the art of jazz during this time period. The themes in this short story are perhaps varied, but all of them revolve around some form of suffering. One theme shows how music can promote change and understanding within relationships. A second theme reveals suffering caused by guilt. Yet another theme references the results of suffering brought about by searching for ones’ identity and how that leads to misunderstanding. There are also subthemes concerning racism and poverty.

In the book “A Long Way Gone” music plays a role as a healer and a saviour.

Perhaps one of the strongest demonstrations of the power of music in “Sonny’s Blues” is the street revival. Everyone has seen these types of revivals before. Every song has been heard by the crowd, but when the music starts everyone stops, watches, and listens. “As the singing filled the air the watching, listening faces underwent a change, the eyes focusing on something within; the music seemed to soothe a poison out of them; and time seemed, nearly, to fall away from the sullen, belligerent, battered faces” (57). The music from the street revival helps lifts the hopelessness from the crowd and provides a sense of relief. Music is able to bring people from all walks of life together. It gives them a sense of calm and ease, an assurance that something is there to help. Music listens.

In the memoir A Long Way Gone, author Ishmael Beah describes his survival journey as a lost child in his country, because of the civil war in Sierra Leone, then becoming a child soldier facing war daily, afterward the process that Beah went through during rehabilitation and finally in fear escaping the civil war. Ishmael Beah emotional journey has three stages of development in which Beah utilized music. In the first stage, Beah uses music as a survival mechanism to keep sane and safe. In the second stage, begins when he loses his brother and friends, Beah reaches the lowest point with the loss of his entire family again, some friends, music, and being forced to join the war. In the final stage, is the process of rehabilitation where Beah connects with music once again. Ishmael Beah exposure to music at a young age stayed with him throughout his life. (Beah, 2007, p. 5-218)

In his short story Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin uses the motif of music and light and dark to reveal and reinforce the theme of suffering transforming people into their better selves.

According to Michael Rose, “Music plays an integral role in the life of Native Americans. It is used for ceremonial purposes, recreation, expression, and healing.” Present societies have become blind and unable to understand the spiritual roles our lives play within and from our own existences. As we are to stay blind, we are never to understand the true beauty and meaning the Southern Plains American Indian’s music brings. As we listen, we can only hope of understanding the dynamics of the native people’s culture through its selected art

When the mind is in a fragile or unstable state, music can aid the healing and strengthening processes. In the book A Long Way Gone, Ishmael emphasizes the power of music by explaining the severity of the traumatic events he encountered and how music helped him overcome that. Doing so promotes the idea of “music therapy” and how it can aid mental health. This novel provides evidence that music can not only lift our spirits when we are sad or energize us to push through a tough workout, but continues to affect our mentality which is something that will never wear off and we will never

When the narrator of Johnson’s novel falls in love, it is to music he turns to express that emotion to his intended one (149). She in turn answered in kind, letting the notes and tempo combine with her words in expression of her love returned to him. The relevance of music in Johnson’s novel should not be undercut by the other issues within the confines of his text. Exploring the meaning of this inclusion will be to explore the theme of music itself. It will encompass the examination of the style of music, the generation in which the story takes place along with the issues of race. Johnson’s use of music to develop a story line and illuminate the various issues and themes of his novel is a demonstration of his love of the art form along

The 2013’s Americans for the Arts policy roundtable program let the panels from different backgrounds got together and discussed about what arts should focus on this year, and the topic they came out was “Arts and Healing: Mind, Body and Community ” (“2013 Report And Recommendations”, 3). When I first saw this topic, one name jumped into my mind, James Rhodes, a rising British pianist. He was abused by his teacher back into teenage time, and this tragic experience brought him not only physical harms but also mental illness. He got involved into some drug issues and everything just seemed so messed up. However, it is music that pulls him back from the edge and let him become whom he is today. He once said in the interview “On the piano”

Despite some arguments, the power of music has impacted many stressful situations that allowed one to reduce those unfavorable feelings to more desirable ones. Music is like medicine; it heals, creates, and captures the moments and feelings that overcome the negative elements in every individual’s life. Without music, the world would seem empty with no brightness of enrichments that come from

Music can be immensely therapeutic. The artifact that I have submitted highlighted on the theme of heroism, freedom and standing up for your rights. It is an uplifting beat that makes the listener confident and optimistic about life. This was the same feeling depicted by Siamak and Moshen when they were released from imprisonment.

Specifically, music has been associated with healing abilities, and has been used for such purposes throughout history. Traditionally, the types of sound responsible for healing are characterized by distinct rhythms, and by specific emphasis on repetition that stems from those rhythms. The existence of repetitive beat seems to aid in the achievement of meditative state. Shamans are well known for their use of drum beats to access healing powers both within themselves and for the people they wish to treat (5).

Music is a great way to work with both the dark and the light side of our emotions. Due to music allowing people to reminisce on older memories. Many people use music as a therapeutic way to calm their souls, relax themselves, and allow for the melody to find serenity within. When listening to a song often times one