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sonny's blues

            In Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" two brothers try to live out their lives in the ghetto. This is an urban tale that takes place in some part of Harlem. Sonny tries to live his life as he wants but his brother tries to live his life as a provider for his family. They suffer, survive, and learn while trying to live out their life. This story begins when the narrator finds out that his younger brother has been arrested for either using or selling heroin. The narrator's first response is that its Sonny's problem "what the hell can I do" about it (232). This reaction tells the reader that the narrator is alienated from his brother, who has taken up a life of music and drugs. The reader now finds out about the narrator's mother and father. Sonny's mother kept on telling her older son to look out for his younger brother. It seems that their mother knew that no matter what family is still family. The reader finds out that some drunk white male killed Sonny's father's brother. This haunts the narrator's father for the rest of his life, because he felt that he could have saved his brother from his death. His mother tells him that he has a brother as well "and the world ain't changed" (239). This is very significant in this story, because the narrator also feels guilt for how his brother is turned out. We find out that the narrator had promised his mother to look after his brother but he abandons his brother in his time of need. The beginning of "Sonny's Blues" marks an awakening for the narrator. He is faced with Sonny's drug addiction problem. His own grief for the loss of his daughter focuses a new perception. "My trouble made his real" (245). Now the narrator tries to truly understand his younger brother and what he wants out of his life. The narrator must finally come to know his baby brother in order to understand the menace that he had almost died trying to escape. He realizes that he must come to terms with a failure, "the fact that had held silence- so long!- when (Sonny) had needed human speech to help him," in order to find a new relationship with his brother (248).


Essays Related to sonny's blues

1. Sonny's blues

In James Baldwin's story Sonny's Blues, "blues" plays a very important part, even the story itself is a "blues", and there is a mood of unhappy throughout the whole story. ... "Blues" is a kind of music that to express a sad mood. ... The "blues", both as a state of being and as music, are basic to the structure of the story, and both the narrator and his brother Sonny have had their share. ... However, Sonny also tries to stay away from danger. ... Perhaps there is no way that we can absolutely stay out of danger, like Sonny's father said that there is no safe place for anyone,...

  • Word Count: 498
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Sonny's blues

SONNY"S BLUES A captivating tale of relationship of two troubling brothers in Harlem, "Sonny's Blues" is told from a perspective of Sonny's brother, whose name is never mentioned. Baldwin's choice of Sonny's brother as a narrator is what makes "Sonny's Blues" significant in terms of illustrating the relationship and emotional complications of Sonny and his brother. The significance of "Sonny's Blues" lies in the way Sonny's brother describes the relationship based on what he observes, hears, and feels, and how he struggles trying to understand Sonny thr...

  • Word Count: 1272
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Sonny's Blues

Sonny's Blues is a story about two brothers, their past and how their differences came between them. ... "Sonny's Blues" is a well written story that teaches a lesson that has value in every day life. ... 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. ... 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. ... "Sonny's Blues" is a well written story and it teaches a valuable le...

  • Word Count: 513
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Sonny's Blues

Sonny's Blues? James Baldwins's "Sonny's Blues" is the account of two brothers who grow up in Harlem in New York City. ... It follows Sonny and his brother after Sonny gets out of jail. ... In "Sonny's Blues" the theme of loss and suffering resonates throughout the story. Sonny's older brother loses his baby girl to polio when Sonny is in jail. ...

  • Word Count: 597
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Sonny Blues

In James Baldwin's 1957 Story, "Sonny Blues," Which Character, The Narrator Or Sonny, Went Through The Most Significant Transformation In The Effort To Seek A Common Ground As Brothers? In James Baldwin's story, Sonny Blues," the narrator, Sonny's brother, went through the most significant transformation in the effort to seek a common ground as brothers. ... Almost as en epiphany Sonny's brother comes to understand Sonny's need for a giving and communicating relationship. Sonny did not need to be controlled, because Sonny was determined to do thing his way. Sonny n...

  • Word Count: 588
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Sonny

Sonny's Blues The Title Sonny's Blues referring to the short story written by James Baldwin has many significances and double meanings within the story. ... "Sonny's Blues" originated not from the heroine or the jazz music that played the major roles in the story. ... This is where the significance of "Sonny's Blues" really takes shape. Sonny's blues saved Sonny form his blues. ... Sonny's Blues is epic example of good triumphing over bad against fixed odds. ...

  • Word Count: 522
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

7. The Narrator of Sonny's Blues

In James Baldwin's short story, "Sonny's Blues," the narrator's brother, Sonny, has a heroin addiction and gets arrested for using and selling drugs. ... James Baldwin's short story "Sonny's Blues" presents a family theme through the use of symbolism, tone, and first person narration. Jazz music is a very big symbol in "Sonny's Blues." ... Since "Sonny's Blues" is written in the first person, the audience can get a better understanding of the narrator's thoughts and feelings, as well as seeing how important family is to the narrator. ... The...

  • Word Count: 876
  • Approx Pages: 4
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Sonny's Blues and A Good Man is Hard to Find

For this paper, I decided to compare and contrast, "Sonny's Blues,"" by James Baldwin and "A Good Man is Hard to Find,"" by Flannery O'Connor. ... In "Sonny's Blues ", the theme of lightness and darkness are used as symbols to represent the positive and negative events in the protagonist's struggle to find a balance in his life. ... "Sonny's Blues"" tells the tale of the narrator's younger brother, Sonny, who has had a rough past that ranges from selling heroin, spending time in jail, and had difficulty living in his wife's family household. ... "Well, I need...

  • Word Count: 707
  • Approx Pages: 3

9. Analysis of Sonny's blues

"Sonny's Blues", is a story of pain, addiction, and two brothers" search for acceptance. The story is told from the perspective of Sonny's brother, who is a school teacher in Harlem. ... "Sonny's Blues" isn't just about the pain and sadness in their lives, but it is also about learning to overcome their differences and trying to salvage the bond they once had. ... When Sonny's brother finds out that his brother was arrested, he's initial reaction was total denial. ... Sonny didn't want to believe that his brother had become just another "victim" of the ghet...

  • Word Count: 262
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Grade Level: High School

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