"Sonny's Blues" Blog

After reading "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin I felt there were many interesting points made, but that it was still some what confusing.  The short story starts with the first sentence in capital letters making a reference to what will be told throughout the story.  The word "HYPERBOLIC"(page 30) is used which means exaggerated.  The story starts off with a man who is a school teacher and has a brother who is very ill, just like the brothers in "Sonny's Blues".  He says, "I hadn't listened with enough passion;"(page 31) this shows the brothers remorse for not giving his brother enough attention.  He feels sadden from his brothers death and feels he is in a way responsible.  By always being focused on himself he did not give his brother enough time which could have led to his death.  The man ends up reading "Sonny's Blues" and this is where the story really starts.

In the beginning the brother is shocked to read a story in the paper about his own brother.  When he says, "trapped in the darkness which roared outside"(page 31) we can tell he feels bad for what has happened to his brother.  The ice he refers to in the beginning is a representation of his brother coming back into his life.  After there time apart he has forgotten about Sonny but then is reintroduced to him just by reading the paper.  Once reading the article in the paper he cannot stop thinking about his brother and the life they had has children.  He says, "All they really knew were two darknesses, the darkness of their lives" and "the darkness of the movies"(page 33) these two quotes are a flashback to the boys childhoods.  These darknesses had been a huge part of their childhood from living in Harlem.  The darkness from the movies would take part of the darkness from their own lives.

The narrator then finally sends a letter to his brother after not talking with him for a year.  He becomes angry with himself after finding out his brother is very glad to hear from him.  Sonny says, "You don't know how much I needed to hear from you."(page 36) this shows Sonny's love for his brother and how much it means to him to hear from his brother.  He goes on to say, "I'm glad Mama and Daddy are dead and can't see what's happened to their son"(page 36) Sonny would not want to disappoint his parents in his actions.  He does not want to hurt is family and that is why he is glad they are not there.  Once Sonny gets out of prison his brother takes him home with him.  He says, "I was simply bringing him back into the danger he had almost died trying to escape"(page 38).  The house his brother lives in is almost identical to the one they grew up in and he does not want Sonny to remember the past.  

This story explains the hard times children had growing up in Harlem.  The narrator is always describing the darkness which represents evil or bad things to come.  The story also demonstrates the lives African Americans had to live while the white people did not treat them nicely.  Although the narrator has become a teacher in his life and tried to fit in as much as possible the times he had to live with his family will never leave him.  There is one point when Sonny says, "a white girl's apartment"(page 46) to Isabel the narrator's wife.  Once she hears this is where Sonny has been she starts to scream.  This emotion shows how bad it was to interact with the opposite race.  

Sonny's escape from it all is through playing jazz music.  He says, "I've been something I didn't recognize, didn't know I could be."(page 52)  this shows that through the ruff times he has faced in his life he finally found something that he loved doing.  Playing jazz music is something Sonny never thought he could do but did it and is great at what he does.  He wanted to change his life for the better.  Sonny wanted to leave the drugs from the past behind and start over with a goal in life-to play jazz music.  Towards the end Sonny invites his brother to see him perform.  While at his performance the narrator notices how his brother has changed the lives of others.  He was in "Sonny's world"(page 53) with his friends and his supporters.  Sonny was no longer alone in the world and his brother finally realized how special his brother was.  

Sonny allowed his brother to experience a part of him he had never seen before.  He says, "Sonny's fingers filled the air with life, his life." the narrator is showing that this is Sonny's life and what he lives for.  He does not want to go back to drugs or to the darkness of the past but to find a new meaning in life.  Although the darkness will always be a part of them they are doing their best to live life freely.  The narrator has finally started to understand his brother and same for Sonny.  Through all their fights and battles they have come a long way in life and will continue to be free.