The Role Of Isolation In Sonny's Blues

The Power of Music in James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues At first glance, "Sonny's Blues" seems ambiguous about the relationship between music and drugs. After all, the worlds of jazz and drug addiction are historically intertwined; it could be possible that Sonny's passion for jazz is merely an excuse for his lifestyle and addiction, as the narrator believes for a time. Or perhaps the world that Sonny has entered by becoming involved in jazz is the danger- if he had not encountered jazz he wouldn't have encountered drugs either. But the clues given by the portrayals of music and what it does for other figures in the story demonstrate music's beneficial nature; music and drugs are not interdependent for Sonny.

Ever heard of the Blues? This kind of genre originated in African American communities, which can be seen in Sonny’s Blues. Because this story took place after the Harlem renaissance, this kind of genre was one of the main points. The story talked about how Sonny is really into playing the blues and how it was the hook that bonded the narrator with his brother, Sonny. The two brothers had two different mindset on how to live life. Sonny adored playing the blues while the brother, which is the narrator, did not think it was something to listen to. Sonny and his brother were not really close for the entire story, but towards the climax many different feelings and new thoughts were generated in the narrators mind. In this story the narrator never wanted to hear his brother play, however, at the end after his daughter’s death occurred, the narrator changed his mind and gave the blues a chance. So he went with Sonny and listened

In “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, Sonny’s older brother discovers that he was holding back his brother instead of protecting him. The narrator promised his mother that he would take care of Sonny after she dies. However, the narrator was skeptical about Sonny becoming a musician because he did not believe it was career worthy. After the brothers went into the nightclub, the narrator realized that this was Sonny’s home. Sonny had a family in the nightclub and he was respected among them. stated by the Narrator, “Here, I was in Sonny’s world. Or, rather: his kingdom”. This showed that Sonny had a presence in the nightclub and his music was admired. Additionally, Sonny was able to show his emotions in his music. As shown in the conversation

The Influence of Music: An analysis of Sonny’s Blues Throughout history, humanities have been used as a way to soothe the masses. In the ancient and Middle Ages, exposure to art and literature was limited to wealthy since they were the only ones with enough riches to appreciate the classic works. The plebeian masses were mainly illiterate and because of this music was one of the only sources of entertainment that they had at their disposal. Over time music became a way to unite people, in the Middle Ages the Gregorian Chant was used by the Catholic Church to enhance their services and bring congregations together.

In “Sonny’s Blues,” Baldwin described how Sonny used music to get rid of the troubles he had in his life. Sonny was born in Harlem, New York where majority of the people were African Americans. The African Americans adopted various ways to cope with the difficulties, they were facing in the Harlem before the Civil Rights Movement. Sonny was dejected by the strain of being black, poor, and captured within the boundaries of his community. He attempted to oppose the customs by moving away from Harlem, and started his career as a musician. He wanted to become a jazz musician, but somehow, he was addicted to heroin. Many people were addicted to drugs in the Harlem at that time to escape the reality. Sonny was arrested for using and selling drugs. When he was released from jail, he could have gone through the same routine of drugs addiction, just like he had been before being arrested. He was a drug addict and it was very hard for him to cut off contact with drugs. However, Instead of using drugs again, Sonny choose to play jazz music and tried to forget his worries. He had been practicing and playing music for a long time. After living with his brother for a few weeks, Sonny started to turn his life around. Sonny took his b...

The short story Sonny’s Blues was written by an author name James Baldwin in (1957). The setting of Sonny and his older brother took place in NYC. Sonny’s was the younger brother who always wanted and dream of giving out the hood in NYC know as Harlem. However, Sonny’s brother is more focused on his self than his brother. The oldest son was more focused on his wife not too much on trying to get out of Harlem. The story was based on brothers who lost both their parents. The older son was responsible for Sonny’s to make sure he did not get in trouble and end up like his father. Their father was a very nonchalant person and the mother seen signs of it in Sonny. So after the parents had passed away Sonny will always tell his older

living in Harlem during the pre­Jim Crow era, but his love for jazz music helps him connect

Often throughout the short story, the narrator mentions his strained relationship with Sonny. The narrator cannot understand Sonny’s love of music and why he seeks to make a career of it. When the narrator finally hears Sonny play the piano, he knows all of Sonny's suffering, allowing him to appreciate his brother truly. Listening for the first time, the narrator stood unbelieving, “[as] there was no battle in [Sonny’s] face now, [and the narrator] heard what he had gone through, and would continue to go through until he came to rest in earth” (Baldwin 148). Music expresses what words never could, and the narrator realizes “these are Sonny's blues” (Baldwin 148). If the narrator had not suffered in his life, he never would have written to Sonny, allowed him to live with his family, or followed him to the club in which he was performing. His suffering allows his to finally connect to his brother and trust his decisions, leading him to hear Sonny's blues for the first time. Here, Sonny places his suffering on the table for his brother, and for once, he can finally understand everything his brother has gone

Several passages found throughout "Sonny's Blues" indicate that as a whole, the neighborhood of Harlem is in the turmoil of a battle between good and evil. The narrator describes Sonny's close encounters with the evil manifested in drugs and crime, as well as his assertive attempts at distancing himself from the darker side. The streets and communities of Harlem are described as being a harsh environment which claims the lives of many who have struggled against the constant enticement of emotional escape through drugs, and financial escape through crime. Sonny's parents, just like the others in Harlem, have attempted to distance their children from the dark sides of their community, but inevitably, they are all aware that one day each child will face a decisionb for the first time. Each child will eventually join the ranks of all the other members of society fighting a war against evil at the personal level so cleanly brought to life by James Baldwin. Amongst all the chaos, the reader is introduced to Sonny's special secret weapon against the pressures of life: Jazz. Baldwin presents jazz as being a two-edged sword capable of expressing emotions like no other method, but also a presenting grave danger to each individual who bears it. Throughout the the story, the reader follows Sonny's past and present skirmishes with evil, his triumphs, and his defeats. By using metaphorical factors such as drugs and jazz in a war-symbolizing setting, Baldwin has put the focus of good and evil to work at the heart of "Sonny's Blues."

At the end of the story, the narrator finally realizes why Sonny should be playing Jazz when he hears him play for the first time at a nightclub. Sonny uses music as an outlet for everything that has happened to him in life, and finds peace in playing Jazz. As Sonny struggles to play “his blues,” the narrator can see that these blues represent real darkness in his life, and that his music is a way for people to find joy where there is sadness. At this point, the narrator can finally accept Sonny and the life he chooses, even if it may come with some risks. His brother’s happiness is what is most important to