Sonny's Blues is a story about two brothers, their past and how their differences came between them. They were apart for several years while Sonny was in jail, but once he got out they had a chance to mend their pasts. "Sonny's Blues" is a well written story that teaches a lesson that has value in every day life.
The tone is melancholy and reminiscent. The brother is remembering thapst and relecting on the mistakes he and Sonny made. He is sad over their fallout, Sonny's trouble with drugs, and the death of his daughter. He regrets that he wasn't able to keep Sonny out of trouble like he promised his mother he would do, as she had done with their father.
The point of view is first person selective, told from the perspective of the brother. He gives the best scenario of events baceuse he was the only one besides his mother who knew the truth about his uncle and how his death affected their father. He was supposed to look after Sonny so nothing like that happened to them. If Sonny was the narrator, this angle of the story would be lost.
The characters and events were stereotypical. Sonny was a misunderstood teen who fell through the cracks of society and succumbed to drugs and his brother felt the pain of failure from Sonny's mistakes. They grew up living a hard life in Harmlem and their father had a tragic past that emotionally crippled him. The outcome, however, was not a stereotype since Sonny overcame his addiction and found himself, and the bond between Sonny and his brother was restored.
The sad and reminiscent tones are appropriate to the themes of forgiveness and family. Sonny's brother is remembering the tragic events that separated Sonny and him and relates them to the deaths of his parents and his daughter. He feels he failed them all and wants right his wrongs by helping and saving Sonny this time. The two major symbols of the story are music and drugs. The drugs symbolize the past and failure, and music symbolizes success and the future.