Emotions Of Lemon Brown : The Story Of Lemon Brown

The narrator recalls his drive through Harlem, “So we drove along between the green of the park and the stony, lifeless elegance of hotels and apartment buildings, toward the vivid, killing streets of our childhood” (Baldwin 117). Harlem is a predominantly African American neighborhood in New York known for its violence, poverty, and cultural aspect to the African American community. Growing up in Harlem kids usually never leave and live of life of tragedy. In the story Baldwin while the narrator is discussing Harlem, Baldwin writes, “Some escaped the trap, most didn’t. Those who got out always left something of themselves behind, as some animals amputate a leg and leave it in the trap” (Baldwin 101). Baldwin uses Sonny as a metaphor for the life in Harlem. His struggles represent the struggles of the people living in Harlem. Although Sonny does leave Harlem he is still stuck with the struggles that comes up with growing up there which also represents the sort of paralysis the people of Harlem face. Even if they find a way to escape they are still stuck with the sense of poverty and tragedy that comes with living in such a bad neighborhood. When the people of Harlem were struggling they found peace in playing music which is where Jazz became a very big part of the African American

“Sonny’s Blues” is an emotional story written by an amazing author, James Baldwin, who has come to be one of my favorite writers. This particular piece talks about the troubles of African American freeing themselves from the mental bondages of their surroundings, the ghetto. The title is significant, and helped me to understand the underlining meaning of the story. The title can be divided into two main reasons, the first, “Sonny’s Blues, meaning the music he plays. Second is the reference to his life, his feelings, his style, and most importantly his way of life.

In James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues he deals with a man trying to find his identity in a very hostile society. The blues in this story is used in a more emotional manner which recollects the past. It also repairs the relationship between the two brothers who have chosen two different ways of coping in their ghetto environment. The blues also serves as a communication devise between the two brothers. Baldwin uses the blues to state a fact; the ugliness and meanness inherent in the human condition. In order to really understand the message of the blues you have to be one that has suffered just like Sonny and the elder brother. The blues that they play also communicates to other sufferers who have had their own trials, so they know what this music is all about. Sonny's suffering are within himself, but deep suffering is common to all his listeners. Even his brother can attune himself to this suffering, which is brought on by the death of his little daughter Grace. When the brother is at the club listening to the blues he recalls his mother, the moonlit road on

In the realistic fiction story, "The Treasure of Lemon Brown" by Walter Dean Myers, Greg Ridley a fourteen-year-old boy, starts off by getting a lecture from his dad, about his poor grades in math. Greg is upset and he walks away from his house to get some alone time. As Greg is walking, a rainstorm strikes. While he is trying to find shelter, he comes upon an abandoned apartment complex. As Greg walks in he finds out that he isn't the only one in the apartment, an old man named Lemon Brown is also there. Lemon is there for a different reason though. He is trying to hide his treasure, an old harmonica, from the neighborhood thugs. The thugs weren't successful in getting Lemon's treasure. Greg returns home with a valuable lesson learned, that he should value things in life. Greg changes from the beginning of the story to the end of the story. At the beginning, Greg was careless about his grades in math. Next, he was curious when looking for a place to hide from the rain. Lastly, he ends the story off by being a caring person when he continuously asked Lemon Brown if he was okay. Greg Ridley was a dynamic character who changed from careless, to curious, to caring, after his encounters with Lemon Brown.

The story “The Treasure of Lemon Brown,” is a story that tells the tale of how Greg Ridley is having a bad day. His grades are low, and he is going to be kicked off the basketball team by his dad because of his latest math grade. Things start to turn when Greg stumbles upon the abandoned tenement that Old Man Lemon Brown lives in. In there, he learns an important lesson that will change him forever. In “The Treasure of Lemon Brown,” the author, Walter Dean Myers, expresses the theme that everyone has their niche, or how Lemon Brown calls it, a ‘Treasure’ and the lesson to not judge a book by it’s cover. This theme connects to main character Greg Ridley, who is having trouble with

Baldwin, again, emphasizes to the reader, the acknowledgment of suffering of the African-American in the observance of the revival meeting, which begins to reconcile the narrator and Sonny, in their conflicting definition of suffering. As they watch through the window, Sonny recognizes how much suffering the woman had to experience. ."..listening to that woman sing, it struck me all of a sudden how much suffering she must have had to go through - to sing like that. It's repulsive to think you have to suffer that much." The narrator responds, "But there's no way not to suffer, is there, Sonny?" (241) Sonny doesn't believe you should just sit back and take the suffering, it was important to Sonny that there be meaning to suffering.

One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.

The short story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, is the tale of two brothers who grew up in Harlem. One brother is a school teacher, husband, and father, whom was left with the responsibility of looking after his younger brother Sonny. Sonny a troubled young man, struggling with his demons and his desire to be a musician. The brothers, born seven years apart, have a complicated relationship. That make it difficult to understand each other; however, the love and bond between them outweigh their differences. The diverse settings throughout the story positively and negatively influence each of these characters, in a plethora of ways.

All their dazzling opportunities, were theirs, not mine…. With other black boys the strife was not so fiercely sunny…. Why did God make me an outcast and a stranger in my own house? The shades of the prison-house closed round about us all: walls strait and stubborn to the whitest, but relentlessly narrow, tall, and unscalable to sons of night who must plod darkly on in resignation, or beat unavailing palms against the stone, or steadily, half hopelessly, watch the streak of blue above.

Troubled and alone the man described attempts to escape his past. He plays with a slow methodical rhythm. The rhythm is not happy, but more relative to the man’s experiences. Although not specified, we can infer his past was not favorable. Langston writes, “I’s gwine to quit ma frownin’ And put ma troubles on the shelf (Hughes).” The anguish of his past is overbearing and without an outlet he would likely be dead. The melancholy attitude carries through to his life and without his Blues music his overbearing emotions shine. “He slept like a rock or a man that’s dead. (Hughes).” What was optimistic lines prior turns dark in despair as he sleeps. One can infer the cycle continues day in and day out. He finds hope in the music, just like Sonny; however, once the curtains close the true emotions emerge. His expression is almost that of desperation as opposed to inspiration. His plays his past and current emotions in his music, which gives its richer and deeper vide. Instead of putting up a masquerade he plays it how it

As a young boy living on cotton plantations, Robert witnessed the harsh treatment of fellow black African Americans. The cruel treatment of the plantation owners continued into daily life where Johnson was received as inferior by the white general public. He received unjust segregated treatment as a result of his black skin. As a small child he watched in amazement to the powerful music of the bluesmen. In beautiful song they captured the pain of injustice which Robert, as well as most other African Americans of the time, had been forced to endure all their lives. Young Robert was intrigued by these men, and dreamed of one day singing the blues himself.

“Sonny’s Blues,” which is an outstanding short story by James Baldwin, describes many obstacles in lifestyles and relationships of African-Americans in the influential time of post Harlem Renaissance and discrimination in the 1950s. In the end of the story, the nightclub setting is the most important and emotional turning point of the brotherhood between narrator and his young brother, Sonny. After many conflicts and arguments about their different ideals and lifestyles, Sonny tries to open his heart to let his brother understand him by inviting the narrator to come to his jazz music performance at a small nightclub in Greenwich Village. At this place, he meets friends of Sonny, acquaint himself with jazz music and tries to get into Sonny’s world. He carefully observes any changes of his brother on the stage. Sonny is nervous and has trouble in the beginning of the performance. However, Sonny quickly gets back on track. His music seems to touch everyone, including his brother, by its beauty and freedom. The narrator becomes proud of Sonny. Eventually, he recognizes his brother’s talent and understands that Sonny was born to be a real musician.

“The Weary Blues,” by Langston Hughes, tells a story of an unnamed narrator recalling an evening of listening to a man sing the blues one night in Harlem. Hughes uses a somber tone, depressed voice, syntax and imagery as language styles to convey a great deal of suffering that was occurring in Harlem during the mid-1900’s.

Why does this title have a peculiar title to it and what is it about? The short story “The Treasure of Lemon Brown,” by Walter Dean Myers, is about a young boy named Greg Ridley who really struggles with school. At the time he was fourteen and failed his math class. His father would always give him lectures about how failing in school is not okay and in turn isn't aloud to play basketball. One day he got so mad that he ran away and ended up in some old run-down building with graffiti all over it. Greg has four big coming of age moments all throughout this story. Coming of age moments are big moments that happen in life. His first big moments is failing his first math class.

The author of the album LEMONADE is R&B singer Beyoncé Knowles-Carter. Her background sort of does create bias, because she is mostly known for writing love/breakup songs. The authority that I can attribute to her is power. She is a very well known in music and entertainment. I believe the purpose of this album was to tell a story of how you can take all of your obstacles in life and turn them into something great. The title and message says when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. It also has other messages that coincide with each song along with the visuals. Current and past events most definitely could have inspired this work. Such as, her marriage, her parent’s marriage and life in general. The intended audience is obviously her fans but it can also be for people who has had similar dilemmas. She displays her tone by the melody of the music along with the lyrics. The visuals also send the tone of the message.