Essay about Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin - 1003 Words

There are many things we learn of Sonny and his nameless brother in Sonnys Blues. We learn their mannerisms, hobbies, occupations, and even their addictions. It seems we learn nearly everything about the pair; minus the narrators name, as previously stated. Hearing of their histories and the pains theyve under gone, we see how they deal with their pain, which often truly tells character. Sonnys Blues isnt a story of two brothers living in a rough city; one of whom is a talented musician. The story is so much more, its the point of tossing the main two stereotypes of African-Americans in an urban environment. The brothers cope with their own suffering and the suffering around them in two very different, but not uncommon ways.†¦show more content†¦With his dreams and aspirations far from reach and revolving around the typically wrong type of crowd, Sonny seems doomed since he said I want to play jazz(Baldwin 64). Since speaking those words, Sonny became deeply devoted to his jazz music. It was his mothers death though, that seemed to push Sonnys devotion nearly to obsession. With no one as a parental figure in his life; his parents dead and his brother in the service, its only natural for one to take solace in something, whether that be the arms of another, sports, work, or some other sort of hobby, such as playing jazz music. Sonnys music wasnt just a hobby: it became a way of life, and a dangerous one at that. In this time period the jazz scene was heavily laden with heroin use. At the time, most jazz musicians were considered good time people(Baldwin 64); they were looked down upon and not take seriously; undoubtedly due to the known ties to drugs. Sonny became an addict that peddled heroin while using, then got arrested for doing so. Then he became just another dark face in the clink. Sonny and the narrator deal with some very difficult issues in their lives but chose to deal with them in there own ways, which shows their character. S onny turned to drugs to fight the numbing losses and the pain of everyday life. He didnt have anyone to show him the path when he was lost, so he turned to something that could take him away from the journey. What he was going through,Show MoreRelatedRacism In Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin993 Words   |  4 Pagesamount of people all over the world. Although racial bias has been around for many years, it only seems to be progressing into something that one simply cannot comprehend. In the short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the author, James Baldwin, emphasizes the lasting effect of racism throughout the story. While Baldwin vaguely expresses the impact of racial bias on the character Sonny, the audience infers the idea the author is trying to convey. In the story, racism is a significant factor of symbolism portrayedRead MoreAnalysis Of Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin956 Words   |  4 PagesJames Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924, to a single mother in Harlem. 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