The Theme Of Redemption In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

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The short story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin is about two brothers’ lives as they survive Harlem. The narrator and his brother, Sonny, struggle with escaping from Harlem and finding the light, or good, in their lives. Baldwin’s style aids the reader in understanding the characters and the theme of redemption.
Baldwin’s use of imagery such as “they were growing up with a rush and their heads bumped abruptly against the low ceiling of their actual possibilities” (55), when describing the young boys in Harlem, suggests that the young boys aren’t only limited by the borough they live in, but also by the idea that youth of Harlem have a predestined future of failure. Sonny and his older brother fight against this preconceived idea. While his older brother succeeds in becoming a teacher, Sonny’s addiction to heroin compels him into the darkness. …show more content…

Sonny says “it can come again... I just want you to know that” (Baldwin 76), when he is talking to his older brother about how he hasn’t changed, he’s simply older. Sonny is tethered to his past, to a darkness, but he finds solace in music. Sonny is a talented pianist who can escape the darkness when he plays jazz. When his older brother leaves for the war, Sonny stays with Isabel, his brother’s girlfriend. Sonny refuses to go to school, choosing to play jazz instead. “Sonny was at that piano playing for his life” (Baldwin 69), this shows Sonny’s strong conviction that music was saving him. The narrator recognizes that music was the only thing keeping Sonny off the streets, when Sonny invites him to one of his shows later in the

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