Although the main characters of "Sonny's Blues," a short story by James Baldwin, are brothers, they have chosen very different lifestyles. Sonny is a drug-addicted product of Harlem who runs the streets chasing after the be-bop subculture, quite possibly the only aspect of his life that is keeping his head above the water. Sonny's older brother, the narrator of the story, whose name is never learned, is trying his hardest to escape the limitations of the black community by conforming to what he feels is a secure lifestyle and pushing away all the aspects that threaten it. The narrator understands his culture and discovers his own identity because of his relationship with his brother, Sonny. .
The narrator of the story "Sonny's Blues" tries to repress the realization of the limitations on the African American race. The narrator has accustomed himself to the middle class lifestyle and tries hard to conform to make his life in the Harlem ghetto an easier one. He is a high school algebra teacher who had assimilated to the point where he was accepting of the boundaries that existed in the African American community. The narrator uses conformity as a way to escape the realities of the racial boundaries.
When the narrator finds out about Sonny's arrest he is reading the morning paper on the subway on his way to work. .
With his brother in a penal establishment and himself a member of the educational establishment, it's fitting that the narrator would read about Sonny's imprisonment while reading the newspaper, probably an establishment press, and while riding on the subway, an appropriate vehicle for someone who hasn't risen above his origins so far as he hopes. (Murray 353) .
When the narrator reads about his brothers arrest he has a hard time believing what he has read. As the narrator walks from the subway to the school he keeps repeating to himself, "It was not to be believed." (Baldwin 81) The narrator may not have believed it, but his not believing it shows his inability to accept part of his life.