"Sonny's Blues"", by James Baldwin, is a story of two brothers struggling through one brother's identity crisis. Sonny and his older brother are butting heads throughout the story about what Sonny should do with his life. Baldwin shows how two people brought up in the same household can have two totally different outlooks on life.
The central idea is happiness. Throughout the story Sonny is trying to pursue happiness through the unavoidable struggle of life. He says people should pursue what makes them happy: "I think people ought to do what they want to do, what else are they alive for?"" Here he is showing how doing what makes one happy is all that matters. He recognizes suffering as something everybody endures, though it shouldn't stop one from trying to be happy.
There are two conflicts in this story. The external conflict is between the two brothers over trying to lead Sonny down the straight and narrow through his life. Where his brother doesn't think being a musician is a noble profession: ".Might be all right for other people but not for my brother Sonny,"" Sonny is simply trying to pursue his passion: ".The only thing I want to do."" The internal conflict takes place in Sonny's drug problem and his brother struggling to accept him fro who he is. Sonny says, "I'd rather blow my brains out than go through this again."" This shows how hard his addiction is on him.
The conflicts in this story are resolved in the end. In the bar his brother realizes Sonny is a great musician, and he comes to terms with it. It is never known for sure whether Sonny relapses or not: "It can come again,"" never really giving certainty either way. .
Baldwin demonstrates that pursuing happiness and overcoming adversity along the way are parts of life everyone must face. Taking on hardships is a large part of establishing one's identity.