Sonny's Brotherhood: A Literary Analysis

Brotherhood is a term whose definition ominous in connotation, thus making it a theme which can reach a wide audience creating relationships between self and text that go beyond words and punctuation. The concept of brotherhood is explored in both a subtle and profound manner throughout literature but most specifically in the short stories: Girl, Sonny’s Blues, and This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona. The three authors employ literary devices including structure, select inclusion of details, imagery and countless other tactics.

The short story, Girl, surrounds women and their gender roles within their designated societal structure. The fact that she has the story centered around females is keen when analyzing the theme attempting

Brotherhood is portrayed as a responsibility rather than a companionship throughout this story. Sonny’s brother feels obligated to be his brother’s keeper throughout his time of incarceration and even after he is released. This is not said in a way of protection but in that he is plagued with a variety of self-deprecating emotions as the success of his brother is a reflection of his own performance as a pillar. Furthermore, Older siblings believe it is their duty to look out for their younger brothers and in this case, it seems to be overwhelming. Sonny’s brother has a hard time accepting that Sonny does not want to go to school; he wants to be a musician. He goes through a great amount of internal turmoil while coming to terms with Sonny’s life aspirations. The structure and length of the short story also provides substantial insight on the author’s perception of brotherhood. The length speaks to the long and treacherous burden which comes with brotherhood. Sonny’s brother believes he is the source of the burden on Isabel’s family by allowing Sonny to reside with them. “Isabel finally confessed that it wasn’t like living with a person at all, it was like living with a sound” (Baldwin 61). Sonny resided with them, but never interacted much. He paid more attention to his aspiration of becoming a musician than to what transpired around him. Although he was never rude, his brother felt as though this was a burden. The author has chosen to write this story from the brother’s perspective which can be used to affirm his belief on brotherhood. The participants in brotherhood lose their sense of self in order to become a collective. If the short story were written from a different point of view, the entirety of the theme would potentially be