Blame Society!

Swami Nirmalananda, a disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna, once said “Our modern society is engaged in polishing and decorating the cage in which man is kept imprisoned.” Society is seen as a cage by many because the cultural beliefs that make up the society are what guide the actions and behaviors of those within. Sometimes the culture in societies result in helping people develop successfully and positively, but this is not always the case. In fact, numerous societies during the mid-twentieth century that were challenged by racism were marked by rage (Banks). For this reason, it caused many of the people living within to develop troublesome lives. In two short stories written during the mid-twentieth century, “Sonny’s Blues,” by James Baldwin and “The Man Who Was Almost a Man,” by Richard Wright, two African-American characters are faced with separate hardships that are similarly caused by sociocultural factors. Both characters’ problems are arduous to overcome and until they are, the characters are unable to achieve their ultimate desires.

In James Baldwin’s short story “Sonny’s Blues” the main character, Sonny, faces many sociocultural factors, in particular the social environment that he was raised in. His social environment is one of the causes for his troubled life; a life in which he shoots heroine, as well as deals it. Sonny grew up in Harlem, a place the narrator, Sonny’s brother, characterizes as “disast[rous],” “danger[ous],” and “dark” (Baldwin, 41,42,43). Poverty is also prevalent in Harlem, as readers can see when the narrator describes the housing projects that are “already rundown” after a short period of having been built (Baldwin, 41). Furthermore, Harlem is a place where the kids turn “hard or evil or ...

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...h Sonny and Dave suffer from problems caused by sociocultural factors, specifically their social environment, as well as the lack of a solid family structure. Sonny and Dave realize through their struggles that in order to reach their desires they need to overcome these factors. For Sonny overcoming his problem meant becoming a musician, and for Dave overcoming his problem meant escaping to a place where he could become a man. The structure of the two stories is essentially the same: problem caused by sociocultural factors, consequences as a result of this problem, and the way the character deals with the problem. The last part is crucial, if the characters do not deal with the problems themselves both will be right back to where they started, “a cage in which man is kept imprisoned” (Nirmalananda). By dealing with their problems both characters are now free.