Salvation In Sonny's Blues

Sonny is a recovering drug addict and as the story goes on, it seems as if Sonny has changed, but in reality he did not change, his brother just comes to realization that he cannot change him, but only accept and respect the man that he is and the man that he’s striving to be. Baldwin gives much depth to the storyline and also his characters. His development of the characters seems to focus on one main character at a time, shifting from one to another. Sonny, who the story is about, is a troubled young man, who is also very private and some would say he’s a bit of a dreamer in a sense. At an early age he becomes addicted to heroin.

As shown through this quote, the narrator is not concerned about what has happened to his brother and believes it is not his responsibili... ... middle of paper ... ...rcome his own sufferings rather than trying to block them out. In conclusion, “Sonny’s Blues” is the story of Sonny told through his brother’s perspective. It is shown that the narrator tries to block out the past and lead a good “clean” life. However, this shortly changes when Sonny is arrested for the use and possession of heroin. When the narrator starts talking to his brother again, after years of no communication, he disapproves of his brother’s decisions.

Jus... ... middle of paper ... ...n his brother’s life the theme in Sonny’s Blues would’ve have been altered. Overall, what was vital to the narrator, in this time of turmoil and frustration, was to nurture the relationship with his brother Sonny, not only because of the love he had for him but also for the obligation he had as a brother and the commitment he had toward his mother. In conclusion, Sonny’s Blues depicts the love of a brother through the narrator, who at the beginning was disengaged, unsupportive, and emotionally distant. However, the turning point was when Grace died. This triggered a great turmoil of feelings that overflowed the narrator leading him to a major and impacting change.

By the end of the story, the audience realizes that the only place where the narrator can understand and feel for his brother is at the place where Sonny finds his passion, the jazz club. Why is communication such a big deal? Communication is a key essential for knowing ones' feelings and thoughts, whether communicating verbally, through body language, and even through music. The theme of "Sonny's Blues" is communication; the lack of being able to speak and to be heard can affect a person's achievements and failures throughout their life. The narrator lacks listening to Sonny's desires of becoming a musician, and does not oversee his brother's drug addiction because he was too caught up on his career as a mathematics teacher.

Sonny's brother sees Sonny trying to become a jazz musician, he watches and listens as Sonny goes through many difficulties in life. He doesn't want Sonny to be a jazz musician, because there is no future in this. At the end of the story, Sonny's brother attends the nightclub to watch... ... middle of paper ... ...Blues" illustrated how life was growing up in an African American family during 1930 – 1960's. Black Americans struggled to make their imprint on society. The life of the amazing blind musician Ray Charles comes to my mind as I struggle to understand how the African American culture learned to survive during this time.

The story “Sonny’s Blues “is about two brothers that deal with racism. In dealing with their issues they both suffer and survive in their family and community. Their stories are a strong impact on their character and how they deal with their pain. Sonny chooses a more damaging means of racism, such as drug addiction to heroin; although, he does find a better choice music! The older brother, the narrator, James Baldwin, goes to college to become a teacher, and give back to his community in Harlem.

One good thing about music: when it hits, you feel no pain,” says Bob Marley. Music is relevant in James Baldwin’s 1957 short story, “Sonny’s Blues.” It is about an unnamed male narrator struggling with his brother Sonny’s heroin addiction. Baldwin mentions in the story that the narrator and Sonny are “seven years [apart]” (1732). This fact is one of the reasons for the awkward relationship between the narrator and Sonny. Although the author states directly that Sonny has a heroin addiction, he has overcome a lot of pain in his life to get to where he ends up in the latter part of the story.

They were not about anything very new. He and his boys up there were keeping it new, at the risk of ruin, destruction, madness, and death, in order to find new ways to make us listen.” (pg 148) Through the Blues, Sonny has the means to fill the air with life; his life” (pg 145) and the narrator starts to really hear the music. Sonny’s dangerous, drunken blends of music and raw notes from the heart cause the narrator to remember the great misfortune of his parents and the death of his beloved daughter. The narrator realizes why Sonny chose the life he did: unsafe and sorrowful, but infinitely more satisfying in the end.

Such as the narrator expressing his anger towards his brother’s drug use and Sonny’s frustration towards the narrator not understanding his plan to become a jazz musician. For example, the narrator states, “I realized, with this mocking look, that there stood between us, forever, beyond the power of time or forgiveness, the fact that I had held silence – so long! – when he had needed human speech to help him” (pg.94). The argument with his brother made him realize that he abandon his younger brother when he needed him the most. He realized that if he would have spoken out and talk about his drug use that he wouldn’t have to go

Though no profound appreciation for his little brother exists (like the brothers in the first story), the speaker upholds his position in his family’s lineage and cares for Sonny unconditionally. Though Lyman and the speaker in the second story both withhold an intense bond to their brothers, the excess baggage that aids in the degeneration of their brothers is unexpected. In each story, separation due to war serves as a disintegrating fact... ... middle of paper ... ...Just as Sonny uses drugs to distort his reality, Lyman’s view is warped by drug use, also. Lyman hangs a picture of himself and his brother on the wall while he is “a little drunk and stoned” (Erdrich 172). With Henry’s transformation stuck to his conscious, the drugs cause Lyman to hallucinate.