How The Struggle In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

Sonny's devotion to jazz emphasized the conflict between individualism and conventionalism. Seeing Sonny's passion for music, it’s reasonable to assume that music is a drug for Sonny, and his only way of expressing his hopes and dulling with his pain, after his drug addiction. Sonny's devotion to Jazz was able to change the upstanding mind of his brother by the end of the story. When comparing Sonny to his brother, his brother seems to be afraid. He is unable to accept the disorder and cannot face the pain and uncertainty of the way Sonny lives. Sonny has a different perception of the world, his artistic nature and

At the beginning of the story, the narrator refused to communicate with Sonny after learning he went to jail. Sonny’s old friend approached him, and they had a long discussion about Sonny. The narrator thought Sonny was trying to kill himself by overdosing, but Sonny’s friend insisted that “ ‘he don’t want to die. He wants to live.’ ” The narrator didn’t realize how much his brother was struggling to stay alive and how he used drugs to cope. He eventually wrote a letter to Sonny after his daughter died. He knew one thing about Sonny: he was a very private person. “It doesn’t do any good to fight with Sonny. Sonny just moves back, inside himself, where he can’t be reached.” This privacy kept his brother from ever getting to know him.

Mr. Baldwin made the older brother the narrator so the reader would not feel like Sonny was a dangerous man. The older brother seemed to apologize for Sonny while at the same time try to convince himself and the reader that Sonny really was not a bad guy. Sonny is really a hero and yet an anti-hero. He is someone that seems dangerous, lazy and extreme until you get to know him. The problem is that Sonny does not let people know him.

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.

“Sonny’s Blues” is a narration about two siblings – brothers - who choose very different routes in life in order to accomplish the zenith of individualism, expressionism and recognition. In doing so, they take a glimpse into one another’s spheres and learn to assent and appreciate each other for who they are. In 1951, Baldwin wrote Sonny’s Blues, a story of the ills that Harlem provided its youth. In Baldwin’s telling of the narration, it forms a nous of liberation, an atmosphere of therapeutic acceptance for the author, in which Baldwin develops to express his own state through his virtuoso of storytelling. To put it inanely, Baldwin has such a fine grasp of the linguistic and such great urge to interpret that he can move even his stoutest detractors to emotion and response.

In James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" the symbolic motif of light and darkness illustrates the painful nature of reality the two characters face as well as the power gained through it. The darkness represents the actuality of life on the streets of the community of Harlem, where there is little escape from the reality of drugs and crime. The persistent nature of the streets lures adolescents to use drugs as a means of escaping the darkness of their lives. The main character, Sonny, a struggling jazz musician, finds himself addicted to heroin as a way of unleashing the creativity and artistic ability that lies within him. While using music as a way of creating a sort of structure in his life, Sonny attempts to step into the light, a life

Richard says he has never seen Sonny so upset, but at that time he figures Sonny is just going through some adolescent stage and does not take him seriously (424). These memories establish a definite pattern of the brothers interactions. Richard's recollections indicate that he has made a life-long habit of disregarding Sonny's beliefs and opinions.

Before passing away, the narrator's mother made him promise to always take care of Sonny: "You got to hold on to your brother," she said, "and don't let him fall, no matter what it looks like is happening to him and no matter how evil you gets with him. You going to be evil with him many a time. But don't you forget what I told you, you hear?" (14). The narrator's initial lack of contact might seem that he has forgotten his promise and his responsibility as an older brother. Realistically though, the narrator is angry at Sonny's decisions to take heroin and consequently get arrested. This anger that he holds is preventing him from fulfilling his promise and his responsibility; however, when he receives the letter from Sonny stating, "You don't know how much I needed you", the anger dissipates and he realizes that his younger brother is in need of guidance and love rather than anger and ignorance.

There are many things we learn of Sonny and his nameless brother in Sonny's Blues. We learn their mannerisms, hobbies, occupations, and even their addictions. It seems we learn nearly everything about the pair; minus the narrators name, as previously stated. Hearing of their histories and the pains they've under gone, we see how they deal with their pain, which often truly tells character. Sonny's Blues isn't a story of two brothers living in a rough city; one of whom is a talented musician. The story is so much more, it's the point of tossing the main two stereotypes of African-Americans in an urban environment. The brothers cope with their own suffering and the suffering around them in two very different, but not uncommon ways.

Throughout the work, there are constant reminders that Sonny is a flawed communicator, as he is not “talkative”, struggles to remain serious in dialogue, and retains his privacy alike to his father (Baldwin 25). After the death of their mother, the narrator and Sonny engage in a conversation regarding Sonny’s future aspirations, yet throughout this conversation, Sonny does not remain serious, rather he grins and is sarcastic. One is correct to state that part of the reason that Sonny struggles to divulge his dream playing jazz to his brother is due to the judgemental response his brother may reply with. Nevertheless, Sonny’s inability to be serious in a conversation also demonstrates the vulnerability he has in conversations in talking about difficult topics. For instance, Sonny is quick to reflect the serious tone of the conversation through touches of sarcasm and rhetorical questions in order to hide his insecurities in revealing personal matters for the reason of judgement, but as well as for having to open himself to others.

Sonny's Blues is a short story written by James Baldwin. In this story, Baldwin helps us understand the different ways people experience pain and suffering. It is a story about two brothers and the way they cope with pain and suffering in dissimilar ways. As the story begins, Sonny was arrested for using heroine while his brother was a teacher at school. In the end, we see Sonny playing some blues in a club while his brother listens and this is when we learn that, the music helps the brothers to deal with their pain and suffering.

“Sonny’s Blues”, by James Baldwin, centers on a man, his life, and his relationship with his brother Sonny. In Harlem, growing up with a life of filth, the man(narrator) and his brother grow up with innumerable opportunities to dilapidate their lives and careen down the conventional road. The man was fortunate; he joined the army, got married, and became a teacher in downtown Harlem. However, for his brother Sonny, things turned out differently. As a teen, Sonny struggled to live in Harlem and to find himself, but, unable to escape Harlem, was drawn into a life of drugs and jazz music to subsist with his prevailing blues.

After Sonny is released from jail he goes to stay with his brother’s family. Baldwin Illustrates, “you got to hold on to your brother don’t let him fall, no matter what it looks like is happening to him and no matter how evil you gets with him” (300-301). Even though his brother does not approve of the choices that Sonny has made he has opened his home to him. He still has the duty of protecting his brother no matter how difficult Sonny or the situation may become. The brother is trying the rekindle the relationship that he had with his brother without really knowing how he feels. Having family around can really push a person to want to do better. Not just for

In James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues,” a passionate but drug-addicted musician named Sonny reconnects with his strict older brother after serving time in prison. Set in Harlem in the 1950s, the short story explores the frustration and resentment that black youth feel as a result of the lack of opportunities presented to them. Although Sonny is desperate to leave Harlem, the hopelessness provided by poverty causes him to succumb to heroin. However, he’s able to cope through his passion for music. The protagonist’s internal struggle in “Sonny’s Blues” shows that music can provide a healthy escape from bleak situations.

Amanda's comment really shook Sonny to the core. He actually forgot about that plate glass incident. That is until he had to relate to Kyle in some way so he could testify against his father. And now those memories came flooding back as he sat back down at his desk.