Category: Sonny’s Blues

Written by James Baldwin, Sonnys Blues is a short story found in the novel Going to Meet the Man. The main character is Sonnys brother; the narrator. The narrator expresses his brothers suffering as a drug addict. Although the narrator is alienated from his family and neighborhood, he does understand it. Talking of alienation, the narrator has poor family ties especially with his only sibling Sonny; the younger brother.

The narrator discovers from the daily newspaper that his brother, Sonny, is in jail. Sonny is a drug-addict and during one of the police crackdowns, he ends up in jail. When the narrator realizes the trouble his brother is in, he feels guilty and fears for his life and future. He feels as though a cloud of darkness is hovering around his life.

While at school, he is unable to concentrate in class and feels as though his life is tumbling down. He is unable to come to terms with the tragic lifestyle his brother engages in. Although the narrator has a younger brother, he only knows about his fate through the newspaper.

Conventionally, one would expect the family members to be the first to know that Sonny has been arrested; unfortunately, the big chasm that stands between Sonny and the narrator bars any communication and sadly the narrator can only learn of his brothers fate via the media. What a way of communication! The two live in separate worlds and they care less about the other and this underscores how alienated the narrator is from his brother.

The narrator is also less friendly to his students and in most cases he dismissed them as drug addicts. As the lesson ends, the narrator feels relieved; however, he starts thinking about his life of Sonnys life only to realize the two live as aliens and there is need to reunite. This realization underlines the fact that the narrator understands the bearing alienation that follows him like a shadow.

As the story unfolds, alienation also unfolds at the same rate; the narrator sees all his students as drug addicts as if he were better than them oblivious of the fact that if one is not infected s/he is affected and in this case the narrator is affected because his brother is infected; unfortunately, the narrator is so alienated that he turns apathetic.

He watches children play but does not understands why people associate with children for he is alienated in the first place so he cannot appreciate this kind of an association. Although the children are happy and shout while on the playground, he does not see the reason for their happiness.

Alienation continues to surface as one of Sonnys friends comes to the school compound to tell the narrator about his brothers imprisonment. From the conversation that ensues, it is evident that the narrator hates Sonnys friend. For instance, although the boy lives in the narrators neighborhood, he never associates with him.

He describes him as cunning boy, and regrets why he always gave the cunning boy fifty cents during his borrowing escapades. However, the boy seems friendly and tells him about Sonny but the narrator already knows. He offers the boy a cigarette hence proves that despite condemning the drug addicts he is also a smoker. Sonnys friend asks the narrator why the police did not get him, which he sarcastically answers, I wasnt there.

I stay away from people (Baldwin 553). Furthermore, the boy asks the narrator what is his next step about his brothers condition; but he rudely says nothing; if anything the narrator has not seen Sonny for more than a year. The narrator does not even know his brothers residence before imprisonment. Two forms of alienation come out at this point; first, the narrator is alienated from himself; he does not understand himself.

He smokes yet he condemns addicts as if there were good and bad addicts. Secondly, he confesses that he stays away from people and this remark is enough to suffice hoe deep the narrator is alienated from his surroundings; he doe not even know Sonnys friend by name yet they live in the same neighborhood. Therefore as expected, he does not plan to visit his brother in prison.

On their way to home, the narrator and the boy enter a bar where the narrator sees a little girl as a barmaid and feels pity for her. However, he dislikes the way of life of people in the bar, their houses, and music. He does not want to associate with them yet they are his neighbors and fellow black men.

The lifestyle of his neighbors seems malevolent to him. On the other hand, he is eager to know about his brothers fate in the prison but Sonnys friend reassures him of his release after rehabilitation. The narrator is happy about his brothers freedom in the future. The two reach at the railway station and part ways. However, the boy has no fare and the narrator gives him some to board the train.

At the end of their interaction, a friendship bond culminates between them and the narrator regrets hating the boy before. Furthermore, he promises to write Sonny as soon as possible. Although the narrator hates his neighbors, he tries hard to connect with them, as it is the case with Sonnys friend. Therefore, at last the narrator starts to break the chains of alienation that have bound him for ages; at least he starts connecting with people as the journey of cracking alienation starts.

As the chains of alienations falls one by one, the narrator manages to scribble a letter to his brother after losing his younger daughter to polio. Luckily, Sonny replies the letter but he rues his brothers negligence and rudeness. The letter becomes the turning point for the two brothers and they reconnect once again. The letter brings back the lost unity between the two brothers; in fact, the narrator sends his brother some basic things to use while in prison.

After accepting that he has been alienated not only from people, but also to himself, the narrator embarks on a journey to heal those he hurt during his dark past. Sonny is out of prison and the narrator goes to New York to fetch him. He is so happy to see his younger brother but he is bothered about his seemingly bleak future that lurks ahead.

During the encounter, their childhood friendship blossoms again. The narrator reflects his brothers life when he was a toddler, which attracts him even more. On their way home, they pass through their childhood streets.

He describes the ramshackle houses with poor lighting they lived in, their sex escapades and the stores in which they looted as pats of their escapades. Although it is fifteen years later, the street remains the same save for a few new buildings. The narrator does not want to live in such street. He is proud that he is a schoolteacher and pitys those who live their; it is important to mention during his past years the narrator was apathetic but now he can afford to sympathize with the poor in society. That is a plus!

At home, there is a family reunion and Sonny gives the narrators kids some gifts. The narrator reflects on his family before the death of his parents. He remembers his fathers drunkenness, which was the cause of his death. Additionally, Sonny had a strong relationship with his late father for alcoholism was a common denominator in their lives. The narrators mother was always protective and during their last meeting, he had no time for her hence they did not chat at all.

Unfortunately, his mother died when he had gone to war. The narrator had a poor parent to child relationship hence the poor bondage between them. However, the narrator now feels the void that his mother left as she passed on. Finally, the narrator allows his brother to venture into music as a pianist; his passion. During their reunion he meets one of Sonnys friend whom he works with, he watches as he plays the piano and even buys him a cup of milk, which bonds them again as a family.

In conclusion, the narrator is alienated from his family, friends, neighbors and self. He understands his alienation and it is easy for him to overcome it. After spending a considerable time in self infatuation and self righteousness, he finally starts to appreciate the people around him starting with Sonnys friend, through the little girl in the bar to Sonny himself. As the story closes, the narrator develops strong relationship with those around him and therefore he manages to overcome his alienation.

Works Cited

Baldwin, James.Going to Meet the Man. United States: Dial press, 1965.

Sonnys Blues is a story that revolves around two brothers who seem to have different perceptions about life. While Sonny is shown to be a drug addict and uneducated, his brother is educated and teaches in a local high school. Although he is a teacher, he adopts a poor lifestyle that symbolizes the issues of poverty and racism in the US. Sonny is an introvert and it takes some time before his brother could understand his ways of living.

In fact, it is at the end of the short story that his brother understands why he appears withdrawn from the family and society. The narrator was requested to look after Sonny by his mother before she died. He is married to Isabel and they have children. This essay aims at offering a literary analysis of the short story with an emphasis on the feelings of the narrator when his brother is performing at the club.

The raconteur has unique feelings as he watches his brother play jazz music at the nightclub. The realization of the narrator with regard to his brothers playing the piano begins when the duo are on their way to the club. He appears amazed about the location of the club, where his brother is going to perform. The surprise is obvious because the brothers have been living in separate worlds. The narrator describes it as &the only nightclub on a short, dark street, downtown (Kennedy and Gioia 73).

He uses the description to imply the state of poor infrastructure in the neighborhood. In fact, if it was a neighborhood with wealthy people, it could not be located along a dark street. Further, the chronicler emphasizes on the poor state of the club by saying &we squeezed through the narrow, chattering, jam-packed bar to the entrance of the big room& (Kennedy and Gioia 75). In addition, it is termed as the only nightclub in the location.

This implies that people in the area could not afford to go to clubs probably because of poverty. In areas where affluent people live, there are many nightclubs because citizens have extra cash to spend there. Thus, the description provides a clear feeling of the narrator that they are living in a locality with poor quality of living standards. In fact, the realization helps him to heal a culture problem, which he has been suffering from over a long time.

While watching Sonny play at the nightclub, the storyteller realizes that he has played the role of a guardian in helping his brother achieve his goal in life. He was requested by his mother to ensure that his brother did well in life. Just a few days before his mother died, she called him to tell him a few things with regard to life. She spent some time looking for Sonny on the streets, but with no success. She told the narrator you may not be able to stop anything from happening.

But you got to let him know yous there (Kennedy and Gioia 58). Although Sonny did not complete his education, his brother had tried to ensure that he went to school while staying at Isabels place. In addition, the chronicler aimed at making his brother happy by allowing him to play the piano because he showed much interest in it. Thus, it could be concluded that his consciousness is being redefined and he appreciates the role of a collective consciousness in upbringing children in the society.

The realization with regard to the narrator could be likened to that of the military people who do not spend quality time with their children. Walsh and colleagues (35) conducted a study to investigate the quality of parenting that is exhibited by men in the military. The researchers found that many male military personnel felt that they were not present to influence their children during critical period of development.

In fact, they expressed fear that their children could not grow as desired because they missed the father figure in the family. In addition, the narrator did not influence his brother when he was in the early years of life, which could have greatly contributed to his taking hard drugs. However, he did not give up with regard to helping Sonny become a responsible person in life. For example, he asserts that he kept thinking about his sibling and he sent him letters.

This exhibits the level of concern that the raconteur showed for Sonny. An important realization that gets into the narrators mind when watching his brother perform at the club is the fact that Sonny is now a grown-up, who can look after himself. In fact, he is amazed that almost everyone in the nightclub knows Sonny for his meticulous performance of jazz music. Thus, it could be concluded that he is happy to have accomplished his mothers dream.

The chronicler comprehends that music could be an excellent platform on which to understand his sibling. It is clear that the brothers have been having tensions in the past based on their perceptions of life. In fact, it is documented that the raconteur was insensitive with regard to issues of his brother while Sonny looked at him with a lot of admiration and optimism. The epiphany of the narrator at the nightclub could be termed as a sentimental delusion, which could be explained by many incidents in the short story.

Sonny planned to go to India at the age of 14 because he believed that he could gain a substantial amount of wisdom in the country (Kennedy and Gioia 60). Although his brother knew that the decision could not benefit him, he did not explain to Sonny the demerits of travelling to India. Instead, he asserted with those people walking naked and barefoot through hot coals would only be getting away from wisdom (Kennedy and Gioia 65). The assertion, from a brother, could have caused much psychological suffering.

In fact, the suffering could be one of the factors that made Sonny take drugs. The raconteur is haunted by Sonnys words in the music, which seem to be very powerful. While listening to his brother, the raconteur thinks I seemed to hear with what burning he had made it his, with what burning we had yet to make ours, how we could cease lamenting& (Kennedy and Gioia 75).

He has not only heard the piano play, but also the story being narrated by Sonny. It is at this point that the raconteur appreciates his brothers passion for music. The significance of music in life cannot be underestimated. It has been shown that music, a human phenomenon, is hailed as a source of personal and collective identity, a means of individual expression, a social fact (Campbell, Connell and Beegle 235).

Through listening to the music, Sonnys brother learns that it could be utilized to deliver expressive meaning in an excellent manner. Ultimately, he views music as a medium via which people with different perceptions in life could connect and communicate without being insensitive.

The performance at the nightclub by Sonny makes his brother have a metaphysical experience and learn about important lessons in life. From a metaphysical perspective, the narrator can now appreciate that some unknown forces could impact an individuals destiny. For example, he could not imagine that his brother could become a person to be admired in the society. However, almost everyone at the club acknowledges Sonny as a meticulous pianist (Kennedy and Gioia 75).

Although the narrator held different perceptions in life in relation to his brother, some unknown forces have ensured that the two finally come to understand each other. They are headed to better living. The storyteller has learned some essential lessons with regard to general life.

The transformation of his brother has made him understand the importance of letting siblings and children do what they want in life. Through the music being played by his brother, he appreciates that parents and guardians should not scoff at their children. As an alternative, they should give them an opportunity to express their feelings in a free manner. Finally, he learns that children should obey their parents by taking care of their siblings.

Conclusion

The ending of the short story plays a significant role in shaping the perceptions of the raconteur with regard to issues in life. He uses the music being played by Sonny as a platform on which changes could be addressed. The metaphysical experience and lessons learned will make the narrator adopt a better relationship with his brother.

Works Cited

Campbell, Patricia S., Claire Connell, and Amy Beegle. Adolescents expressed meanings of music in and out of school. Journal of Research in Music Education 55.3 (2007): 220-236. Print.

Kennedy, Joseph., and Dana Gioia. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. London, United Kingdom: Longman Publishers, (2007). Print.

Walsh, Tova B., Carolyn Dayton, Michael Erwin, Maria Muzik, Alexandra Busuito, and Katherine Rosenblum.Fathering after Military Deployment: Parenting Challenges and Goals of Fathers of Young Children. Health & social work 39.1 (2014): 35- 44. Print.

It is appropriate to say that James Baldwin uses jazz or blues as a thematic device. In the text, the sound of the blues has a special meaning, a particular signal that should remind the reader of certain aspects of Sonnys life. The protagonist in Baldwin feels Sonnys fate through the blues and also runs away from reality. Reality presses the protagonist, and he chooses to run away from it. The protagonists younger brother becomes a heroin addict under arrest, and he could have prevented this tragedy. However, he ignored Sonnys addiction; now, he feels like he abandoned a member of his family. Blues also refers to the protagonists family and memories of relatives and loved ones. For Sonny, music represents the only real addiction that has entered his heart. The main reason for the protagonists suffering is, in my opinion, an escape from the past and constant regrets. He sees Sonnys love for jazz and sees that musicians and his friends have become a second family. True love and true passion are what Sonny finds in jazz; the protagonist realizes that he missed it.

In an attempt to forget about his sorrows, Sonny went into communion with his friends. He listened to music and tried to make friends with new people (Du Bon Mot, 2020). Most importantly, in an attempt to forget himself, he began to use heroin. Harlem in the 1920s was a place of chaos and devastation, where drug trafficking and prostitution flourished. Sonny absorbed the surrounding culture; unfortunately, drugs prevented him from enjoying life and music.

In my opinion, the brothers initially differ in their perception of the world. They grew up in the same place and were influenced by the same culture. The older brother may have been forced to take responsibility for the younger from childhood. So in his later life, it happened that he could only blame Sonny for the lack of common sense; Sonny blamed his older brother for not understanding (Du Bon Mot, 2020). In a way, the relationship between these brothers is archetypal since the protagonist is the canonical and archetypal older brother. I associate myself with my older brother because I also strive for responsibility. Perhaps the protagonist tried too hard to control everything and, as a result, was mired in guilt because he could not do the obvious and the simplest to protect Sonny.

Reference

Du Bon Mot. (2020). Sonnys blues James Baldwin full audiobook[Video]. YouTube. Web.

Introduction

Racism refers to the belief that certain tribes or descents are superior to others. It can also be applied as a tool to express the idea of ethnic supremacy against another. In the twentieth century, racism became a widespread problem for many individuals, especially persons of African ancestry in societies such as America and Europe. In his broadly anthologized art named Sonnys Blues, James Baldwin discusses a story of two siblings who after an elongated conceptual difference come to understand one another of the foregoing in society. Two brothers; a musician who later turned a drug addict and the other, a qualified teacher dominates the story. The siblings and some of their family members encounter racial bigotry due to their status being Black Americans.

The art begins with the narrator grasping the arrest of his drug-addicted brother while heading to his station of work. Baldwin reflects on the level of institutional bigotry in society by illustrating numerous instances in the work. Institutional intolerance displays how individuals encounter the ill impacts of discrimination because it is highly embedded in societal structures and authorities such as police officers, justice frameworks, and many other institutions. Baldwin employs various instances that encompass transgenerational upbringing in the dehumanizing Harlem neighborhood, street temptations through drug addiction, limited economic chances, and the normal attribute of human beings to undergo suffering to show racism.

Drug Addiction

Suffering remains a conspicuous element in Baldwins Sonnys Blue in many instances. Right from the demise of the authors daughter to the appalling drug addiction by Sonny coupled with the dreadful murder of the narrators cherished uncle, the theme of suffering controls the community in numerous ways. As Sonny fervently posits, suffering in the community is hardly unavoidable. Baldwins art depicts suffering in the narration through the darkness that invades the lives of the speakers community and even the family (Baldwin 126). Sonny recounts that his drug addiction in an attempt to withstand the long-standing suffering would almost make him paralyzed.

While Sonny is suffering for all the pain heroin inflicts on him, it is critical to both redemption and art. Sonny remarks on the extent of pain the revival singer could have undergone to entertain too gorgeously. The audience can relate that Sonnys song comes from equally dark encounters. Darkness and suffering, when used artistically, can generate works of unmatched beauty. The aspects of suffering also confer the capacity to comprehend and feel genuine compassion for other individuals, which remains key for ultimate redemption. However, it is not until the throbbing demise of his daughter that the speaker starts to discuss a path that results in salvation.

From this perspective, it is apparent that the theme of suffering, especially those faced by persons of African origin in America becomes worrying. Even though Baldwins major idea on the racism aspect in the art will be deeply discussed, the death of the speakers uncle also highlights the epic of the problem. It becomes more vivid that the repercussions of the nature of treatment accorded to black Americans are pervasive. Sonnys father also feels tormented by the perpetual reminiscence of the brothers demise as well as the suffering arising from hatred by white persons. The bigotry, Baldwin mentions, covers his soul and makes him believe that he does not belong to this particular society (Baldwin 132). Moreover, Sonnys mother also experiences this ubiquitous suffering in Harlem.

Dehumanizing Harlem Neighborhood

Racism is infrequently cited but its force can be felt far and wide throughout the art as shown by the dilapidated living conditions in the Harlem neighborhood. For instance, Baldwin says dilapidated housing initiatives that stem from Harlem are like rocks at the center of a boiling ocean (Baldwin 132). The outcome of federal and local segregationist building policies depicts the influence of racism in society. The houses are made to look like decrepit structures in the middle of an isolated environment that should only fit persons of black origin. The comparison further illustrates the deep-rooted nature of racism that lies in downtrodden society. In the same scenario, the narrators anxiety towards his learners can be attached to Sonnys situation where young black Americans reside in a society that ruthlessly undervalues their role and contribution to nation-building. Precisely, they are viewed as the enemy of the development owing to the nature of heroin addiction that Sonny struggled to shake coupled with boundless instances of discernment.

Most of the suffering and darkness in the narration are attributed to the impacts of numerous cases of racism. The bigotry appears to be somehow inherited from one generation to another. The vague and consistent impact of racism ultimately becomes clear and explicit when the speakers mother opens up about how some white men killed her relative. She also took the opportunity to warn the reporter of the same fate that could befall him. The clear accounts of racism encountered by persons of African origin make them feel insecure and outcast in the society they have always called home (Baldwin 140). The entrenchment of the same at various levels of society even makes the situation deteriorates with nowhere to seek a reprieve.

Sonnys Blues proceeds to inquire about these societal injustices as ways to find a long-lasting solution to this menace that denies them the right to live peacefully in a society without interference. Baldwin vividly organizes the story to raise the issues in society, especially during the period of intense racism in America. It is slightly captured in a precise but clever manner that draws the attention of the world. For instance, the deplorable living conditions in Harlem courtesy of the government housing strategy show the impact of segregation in such a society. In another scenario, the critical part of the narrators anxiety is the nature of the response to address the open cases of racism. The little to lack of willingness to address this matter points to the unprepared nature of society to accommodate diversity.

Perhaps, Baldwin could have been inspired by the famous apex court judgment that streamlined racism cases. For instance, the Brown versus Board of Education case of 1957 recognized the kind of challenges that Black Americans face in society (The United States Courts Para 12). Segregation was at its highest and even institutions of learning could not be spared from the such retrogressive act. The bill was the turning point toward the abolishment of racism. Society around that time began to have a different dimension of ethnicity and prejudice and its impact on individuals and society at large. The act allowed those institutions and persons who had even begun defying the Supreme Court pronouncement on the raging matter to adhere to the demanding laws.

The author also can be seen as a beneficiary of the act since he found freedom and could assemble and discuss matters of interest without fear of reprisal. For instance, in 1963, the writer organized a team of black leaders to meet General Kennedy to deliberate on race matters. Kennedy had also been brought up in Harlem, a place he would label as a concentration camp and a dreadful environment due to its desensitizing conditions. Because of racism, society often views persons with less income and poverty-stricken areas to be of little significance in national building and should not be allowed in any discussion.

Natural Suffering by Humans

Racism will have social consequences for an individual since it can generate suffering in their current lifestyle. As Baldwin illustrates, the kind of prejudice met by persons of African origin should never be allowed to take shape in part of the world. The draconian and retrogressive acts have surely no place in society. Human beings are known to have a period of lows and highs, and that should not be dictated by either an individual or society. The Harlem neighborhood is a source of prejudice and brutalizing to the residents (Baldwin 141). Racial profiling by the environment and not individuals capability should not be allowed to prevail in any society that wants to progress.

Limited Economic Opportunities

Moreover, the situation also limited economic activities that black persons could perform in such an oppressive setting. The lack of concern and need to improve the living conditions as manifested by government housing schemes further points to a broken society that does not value inclusivity by all means. Baldwin documents that the resolve to venture into drug abuse and selling is a strategy to navigate the tough environment that would easily paralyze him if such an action is not taken. Using drugs is not acceptable and even harmful to life, Sonny has no choice but to delve into the matter while knowing the consequences. Institutional prejudice displays the way by which individuals encounter the ill impacts of discrimination because it is highly embedded in the social edifices and authorities such as the police officers, the justice outlines, and many other establishments.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the fact is that racism is a major influencing factor of suffering in Baldwins art titled Sonnys Blues. For the author, being black only encompassed part of his identity and pointed diversity but should not form an element of prejudice when handling him. Sonnys instances of suffering occur due to various aspects triggered by his race. The factors encompass upbringing in the dehumanizing environment called Harlem, street temptations, restrictions of economic chances, and the innate nature of human beings to often undergo suffering.

Moreover, the protracted history of suffering by Black Americans, largely informs the four Sonnys blues. Precisely, the narrative is tailored particularly personally when the narrator listens to how his uncle perished by being run over by intoxicated white men. Sonnys brother recaps to the readers the situations encountered by black persons in the town when discloses the levels of poverty and neglect in Harlem. Finally, Baldwin attains many elements through the art of Sonnys Blues. The story not only acts as a memoir of the true situation of Black Americans in Harlem in the 1950s but also depicts the fights they regularly faced concerning moral and ethical values.

Work Cited

Baldwin, James. Sonnys Blues The Oxford Book of American Short Stories edited by Joyce Carol Oates, Oxford University Press, 2013 pp. 122-149.

The United States Courts. History  Brown v. Board of Education Re-enactment The United States Courts, n.d., Web.

Introduction

Sonnys Blues is a story written by James Baldwin, which focuses on two black brothers living in Harlem. The work was published in 1954, in the midst of the Civil Rights movement, which makes race a central subject of the book. It is primarily focused on the life of black adults and adolescents in the mid-20th century. Through exploring the characters lives, the author reflects on the notions of drug use, hopelessness, and escape in the context of the black community.

Drug Use

Drugs are among the key topics discussed in work since the narrators brother, Sonny, has recently been arrested for using heroin. Kowalska explains that Sonnys Blues explores the dynamics associated with drug use and offers readers an insight into the chosen subculture (1). The author shows that drug use among adolescents and young adults is a significant problem of the black community and that it stems from disrupted adolescence (Kowalska 2).

Indeed, the images of adolescents described by Baldwin stress their early maturity through negative behaviors, including swearing, smoking, alcohol use, and drug use. Early in the text, the narrator hears school students talking and laughing in the hallway and notes: It was not the joyous laughter which  God knows why  one associate with children. It was mocking and insular, its intent was to denigrate (Baldwin 18). These images of adolescence serve to highlight the damage brought on children by their environment.

The depiction of drug and substance use serves to emphasize the suffering experienced by black people in Harlem. This is evident because the discussion of drugs and alcohol in work is associated with themes of death, grief, and suicide (Kowalska 2).

When the narrator meets Sonnys friend, who is also a drug addict, he mentions that if [he] was smart, [he would] have reached for a pistol a long time ago (Baldwin 20). Another instance of death and grief being associated with self-destructive behaviors can be seen when the narrator recalls his fathers brothers death (Baldwin 29). These instances show both the causes and the effects of substance use in the community. On the one hand, people use drugs and alcohol as a way of coping with grim reality. On the other hand, drug and alcohol use creates more problems for them and supports the cycle of personal suffering that exists in the community.

Hopelessness

The lack of opportunities for the future is also a prominent topic connected to disrupted adolescence and childhood. The fact that the narrator is a school teacher serves to emphasize this idea by placing him close to the young black population. Despite trying to teach adolescents, the narrator acknowledges that it is unlikely for them to find decent jobs and live a happy life in the future. Baldwin writes: They were growing up with a rush and their heads bumped abruptly against the low ceiling of their actual possibilities (18). The context of the work is of particular importance here because, before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prevented discrimination based on race and color, black people had limited work opportunities in the United States.

The history of slavery and segregation meant that it was usually impossible for them to become integrated into society, and they faced prejudice and discrimination in all aspects of life. For children and adolescents, this created a sense of hopelessness and desperation. They had a poor motivation to succeed in school because it would not have made a difference with regards to future opportunities, and Baldwin acknowledges it in his work (18).

The author also establishes that the lack of opportunity is real for all black people, regardless of how educated, kind, or good they are. This is particularly evident in Sonnys image and the narrators discussion. Reilly explains that the narrator always believed his brother to be a good kid, and this thought made him think that there was nothing to worry about (231). After the news of his brother being arrested for using heroin, it is evident that the narrators thoughts were delusional and that being a good kid cannot pave the way to a brighter future for black adolescents. This part of the work is important because it creates a foundation for the authors exploration of whether or not it is possible to escape the life experienced by Harlems black community.

Escape

Incidentally, the theme of escape is prominent in work, and it manifests itself in various ways, both obvious and obscure. The first time when the narrator mentions escape is when he passes by the streets of his childhood: It must be said, perhaps, that I had escaped, after all, I was a school teacher (Baldwin 24). Indeed, becoming a school teacher was an achievement for a black man in mid-20th century America.

However, the description of living conditions provided by the author alludes to the fact that the thought of escape for any black person is delusional. Baldwin writes, it looks like a parody of the good, clean, faceless life  God knows the people who live in it do their best to make it a parody [&] The big windows fool no one, they arent big enough to make space out of no space (25). The narrators thoughts contradict his previous statement as if he is fooling himself by thinking that he could ever escape. Despite becoming a teacher, he is surrounded by the same issues, people, and houses as when he was a child. This reinforces the thought that academic and career achievements will not help one to escape from the reality faced by black people in Harlem.

Whether or not escape is possible at all is a question that arises at different points in Sonnys Blues, and for every character, escape is different. Sonnys friend that the narrator meets in the beginning views suicide and death as the only paths to escaping. His reality is hopeless, and it is evident from his words, cant much help old Sonny no more (Baldwin 20). Age, drug use, and sociological situation create a parallel between this character and Sonny, which means that he also believes that there is nothing that can help him escape. Death is seen as a smart choice here because it would provide an escape from the suffering that the character has experienced.

Sonnys story, on the other hand, offers a different answer to the question of escape. Sonny finds his escape in music, which helps him to overcome addiction and brighten up reality. Sherard confirms that for Sonny, music was the only means of surviving through the suffering that he experienced as part of the black community (692). It was similar for many other black people at the time, which is why blues is seen as a primarily African American music genre.

In a way, music helps Sonny to reconnect with the collective identity of black people in a positive way, thus ridding him of the drug addiction and allowing him to find meaning in life. Sherard states Sonnys Blues incorporates Baldwins arguments on the necessity of African Americans awareness of their cultural norms and identities (693). Hence, while the narrator sees escape in living in the same circumstances and environments as white people, Sonnys hope is in forming a strong positive connection with his culture.

Finally, it is critical to note that the narrator, too, finds hope and escape towards the end of the story, although not in the way that he would expect. Nelson shows that the narrators journey from ignorance to understanding and acceptance is what grants him escape in the end (28). It is true that at the beginning of the work, the narrator attempts to ignore and distance himself from the struggles faced by other members of the community.

His ignorance was probably the main reason why he failed to maintain contact with his brother: he wanted to believe that as a good kid, Sonny would face no trouble. However, when he is confronted by the reality of his brothers drug addiction, he is forced to accept it. As Nelson explains, the narrators journey to self-discovery is rooted in recognition of Sonnys anguish and suffering (28). By reconnecting with his brother, the narrator also finds a way to accept reality, with both its positive and negative aspects. For him, acceptance is the key to escape, and the work confirms this idea.

Conclusion

All in all, the themes of drug use, hopelessness, and escape are prominent in Baldwins story. The issues explored by the author reflect his view of life in a black community and are primarily defined by the context of the work. Through portraying both positive and negative aspects of living in a black community, the author opposes the notion of hopelessness and allows both main characters to find an escape from their suffering.

Works Cited

Baldwin, James. Sonnys Blues. The Jazz Fiction Anthology, edited by Sasha Feinstein and David Rife, Indiana University Press, 2009, pp. 17-48.

Kowalska, Eva. Troubled Reading: Sonnys Blues and Empathy. Literator: Journal of Literary Criticism, Comparative Linguistics and Literary Studies, vol. 36, no. 1, 2015, pp. 1-6.

Nelson, Emmanuel S. James Baldwins Vision of Otherness and Community. MELUS, vol. 10, no. 2, 1983, pp. 27-31.

Reilly, John M. Sonnys Blues: James Baldwins Image of Black Community. Critical Insights: James Baldwin, edited by Morris Dickstein, Salem Press, 2010, pp. 230-238.

Sherard, Tracey. Sonnys Bebop: Baldwins Blues Text as Intracultural Critique. African American Review, vol. 32, no. 4, 1998, pp. 691-705.

Introduction

Racism refers to the belief that certain tribes or descents are superior to others. It can also be applied as a tool to express the idea of ethnic supremacy against another. In the twentieth century, racism became a widespread problem for many individuals, especially persons of African ancestry in societies such as America and Europe. In his broadly anthologized art named Sonnys Blues, James Baldwin discusses a story of two siblings who after an elongated conceptual difference come to understand one another of the foregoing in society. Two brothers; a musician who later turned a drug addict and the other, a qualified teacher dominates the story. The siblings and some of their family members encounter racial bigotry due to their status being Black Americans.

The art begins with the narrator grasping the arrest of his drug-addicted brother while heading to his station of work. Baldwin reflects on the level of institutional bigotry in society by illustrating numerous instances in the work. Institutional intolerance displays how individuals encounter the ill impacts of discrimination because it is highly embedded in societal structures and authorities such as police officers, justice frameworks, and many other institutions. Baldwin employs various instances that encompass transgenerational upbringing in the dehumanizing Harlem neighborhood, street temptations through drug addiction, limited economic chances, and the normal attribute of human beings to undergo suffering to show racism.

Drug Addiction

Suffering remains a conspicuous element in Baldwins Sonnys Blue in many instances. Right from the demise of the authors daughter to the appalling drug addiction by Sonny coupled with the dreadful murder of the narrators cherished uncle, the theme of suffering controls the community in numerous ways. As Sonny fervently posits, suffering in the community is hardly unavoidable. Baldwins art depicts suffering in the narration through the darkness that invades the lives of the speakers community and even the family (Baldwin 126). Sonny recounts that his drug addiction in an attempt to withstand the long-standing suffering would almost make him paralyzed.

While Sonny is suffering for all the pain heroin inflicts on him, it is critical to both redemption and art. Sonny remarks on the extent of pain the revival singer could have undergone to entertain too gorgeously. The audience can relate that Sonnys song comes from equally dark encounters. Darkness and suffering, when used artistically, can generate works of unmatched beauty. The aspects of suffering also confer the capacity to comprehend and feel genuine compassion for other individuals, which remains key for ultimate redemption. However, it is not until the throbbing demise of his daughter that the speaker starts to discuss a path that results in salvation.

From this perspective, it is apparent that the theme of suffering, especially those faced by persons of African origin in America becomes worrying. Even though Baldwins major idea on the racism aspect in the art will be deeply discussed, the death of the speakers uncle also highlights the epic of the problem. It becomes more vivid that the repercussions of the nature of treatment accorded to black Americans are pervasive. Sonnys father also feels tormented by the perpetual reminiscence of the brothers demise as well as the suffering arising from hatred by white persons. The bigotry, Baldwin mentions, covers his soul and makes him believe that he does not belong to this particular society (Baldwin 132). Moreover, Sonnys mother also experiences this ubiquitous suffering in Harlem.

Dehumanizing Harlem Neighborhood

Racism is infrequently cited but its force can be felt far and wide throughout the art as shown by the dilapidated living conditions in the Harlem neighborhood. For instance, Baldwin says dilapidated housing initiatives that stem from Harlem are like rocks at the center of a boiling ocean (Baldwin 132). The outcome of federal and local segregationist building policies depicts the influence of racism in society. The houses are made to look like decrepit structures in the middle of an isolated environment that should only fit persons of black origin. The comparison further illustrates the deep-rooted nature of racism that lies in downtrodden society. In the same scenario, the narrators anxiety towards his learners can be attached to Sonnys situation where young black Americans reside in a society that ruthlessly undervalues their role and contribution to nation-building. Precisely, they are viewed as the enemy of the development owing to the nature of heroin addiction that Sonny struggled to shake coupled with boundless instances of discernment.

Most of the suffering and darkness in the narration are attributed to the impacts of numerous cases of racism. The bigotry appears to be somehow inherited from one generation to another. The vague and consistent impact of racism ultimately becomes clear and explicit when the speakers mother opens up about how some white men killed her relative. She also took the opportunity to warn the reporter of the same fate that could befall him. The clear accounts of racism encountered by persons of African origin make them feel insecure and outcast in the society they have always called home (Baldwin 140). The entrenchment of the same at various levels of society even makes the situation deteriorates with nowhere to seek a reprieve.

Sonnys Blues proceeds to inquire about these societal injustices as ways to find a long-lasting solution to this menace that denies them the right to live peacefully in a society without interference. Baldwin vividly organizes the story to raise the issues in society, especially during the period of intense racism in America. It is slightly captured in a precise but clever manner that draws the attention of the world. For instance, the deplorable living conditions in Harlem courtesy of the government housing strategy show the impact of segregation in such a society. In another scenario, the critical part of the narrators anxiety is the nature of the response to address the open cases of racism. The little to lack of willingness to address this matter points to the unprepared nature of society to accommodate diversity.

Perhaps, Baldwin could have been inspired by the famous apex court judgment that streamlined racism cases. For instance, the Brown versus Board of Education case of 1957 recognized the kind of challenges that Black Americans face in society (The United States Courts Para 12). Segregation was at its highest and even institutions of learning could not be spared from the such retrogressive act. The bill was the turning point toward the abolishment of racism. Society around that time began to have a different dimension of ethnicity and prejudice and its impact on individuals and society at large. The act allowed those institutions and persons who had even begun defying the Supreme Court pronouncement on the raging matter to adhere to the demanding laws.

The author also can be seen as a beneficiary of the act since he found freedom and could assemble and discuss matters of interest without fear of reprisal. For instance, in 1963, the writer organized a team of black leaders to meet General Kennedy to deliberate on race matters. Kennedy had also been brought up in Harlem, a place he would label as a concentration camp and a dreadful environment due to its desensitizing conditions. Because of racism, society often views persons with less income and poverty-stricken areas to be of little significance in national building and should not be allowed in any discussion.

Natural Suffering by Humans

Racism will have social consequences for an individual since it can generate suffering in their current lifestyle. As Baldwin illustrates, the kind of prejudice met by persons of African origin should never be allowed to take shape in part of the world. The draconian and retrogressive acts have surely no place in society. Human beings are known to have a period of lows and highs, and that should not be dictated by either an individual or society. The Harlem neighborhood is a source of prejudice and brutalizing to the residents (Baldwin 141). Racial profiling by the environment and not individuals capability should not be allowed to prevail in any society that wants to progress.

Limited Economic Opportunities

Moreover, the situation also limited economic activities that black persons could perform in such an oppressive setting. The lack of concern and need to improve the living conditions as manifested by government housing schemes further points to a broken society that does not value inclusivity by all means. Baldwin documents that the resolve to venture into drug abuse and selling is a strategy to navigate the tough environment that would easily paralyze him if such an action is not taken. Using drugs is not acceptable and even harmful to life, Sonny has no choice but to delve into the matter while knowing the consequences. Institutional prejudice displays the way by which individuals encounter the ill impacts of discrimination because it is highly embedded in the social edifices and authorities such as the police officers, the justice outlines, and many other establishments.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the fact is that racism is a major influencing factor of suffering in Baldwins art titled Sonnys Blues. For the author, being black only encompassed part of his identity and pointed diversity but should not form an element of prejudice when handling him. Sonnys instances of suffering occur due to various aspects triggered by his race. The factors encompass upbringing in the dehumanizing environment called Harlem, street temptations, restrictions of economic chances, and the innate nature of human beings to often undergo suffering.

Moreover, the protracted history of suffering by Black Americans, largely informs the four Sonnys blues. Precisely, the narrative is tailored particularly personally when the narrator listens to how his uncle perished by being run over by intoxicated white men. Sonnys brother recaps to the readers the situations encountered by black persons in the town when discloses the levels of poverty and neglect in Harlem. Finally, Baldwin attains many elements through the art of Sonnys Blues. The story not only acts as a memoir of the true situation of Black Americans in Harlem in the 1950s but also depicts the fights they regularly faced concerning moral and ethical values.

Work Cited

Baldwin, James. Sonnys Blues The Oxford Book of American Short Stories edited by Joyce Carol Oates, Oxford University Press, 2013 pp. 122-149.

The United States Courts. History  Brown v. Board of Education Re-enactment The United States Courts, n.d., Web.

Introduction

Sonnys Blues is a story written by James Baldwin, which focuses on two black brothers living in Harlem. The work was published in 1954, in the midst of the Civil Rights movement, which makes race a central subject of the book. It is primarily focused on the life of black adults and adolescents in the mid-20th century. Through exploring the characters lives, the author reflects on the notions of drug use, hopelessness, and escape in the context of the black community.

Drug Use

Drugs are among the key topics discussed in work since the narrators brother, Sonny, has recently been arrested for using heroin. Kowalska explains that Sonnys Blues explores the dynamics associated with drug use and offers readers an insight into the chosen subculture (1). The author shows that drug use among adolescents and young adults is a significant problem of the black community and that it stems from disrupted adolescence (Kowalska 2).

Indeed, the images of adolescents described by Baldwin stress their early maturity through negative behaviors, including swearing, smoking, alcohol use, and drug use. Early in the text, the narrator hears school students talking and laughing in the hallway and notes: It was not the joyous laughter which  God knows why  one associate with children. It was mocking and insular, its intent was to denigrate (Baldwin 18). These images of adolescence serve to highlight the damage brought on children by their environment.

The depiction of drug and substance use serves to emphasize the suffering experienced by black people in Harlem. This is evident because the discussion of drugs and alcohol in work is associated with themes of death, grief, and suicide (Kowalska 2).

When the narrator meets Sonnys friend, who is also a drug addict, he mentions that if [he] was smart, [he would] have reached for a pistol a long time ago (Baldwin 20). Another instance of death and grief being associated with self-destructive behaviors can be seen when the narrator recalls his fathers brothers death (Baldwin 29). These instances show both the causes and the effects of substance use in the community. On the one hand, people use drugs and alcohol as a way of coping with grim reality. On the other hand, drug and alcohol use creates more problems for them and supports the cycle of personal suffering that exists in the community.

Hopelessness

The lack of opportunities for the future is also a prominent topic connected to disrupted adolescence and childhood. The fact that the narrator is a school teacher serves to emphasize this idea by placing him close to the young black population. Despite trying to teach adolescents, the narrator acknowledges that it is unlikely for them to find decent jobs and live a happy life in the future. Baldwin writes: They were growing up with a rush and their heads bumped abruptly against the low ceiling of their actual possibilities (18). The context of the work is of particular importance here because, before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prevented discrimination based on race and color, black people had limited work opportunities in the United States.

The history of slavery and segregation meant that it was usually impossible for them to become integrated into society, and they faced prejudice and discrimination in all aspects of life. For children and adolescents, this created a sense of hopelessness and desperation. They had a poor motivation to succeed in school because it would not have made a difference with regards to future opportunities, and Baldwin acknowledges it in his work (18).

The author also establishes that the lack of opportunity is real for all black people, regardless of how educated, kind, or good they are. This is particularly evident in Sonnys image and the narrators discussion. Reilly explains that the narrator always believed his brother to be a good kid, and this thought made him think that there was nothing to worry about (231). After the news of his brother being arrested for using heroin, it is evident that the narrators thoughts were delusional and that being a good kid cannot pave the way to a brighter future for black adolescents. This part of the work is important because it creates a foundation for the authors exploration of whether or not it is possible to escape the life experienced by Harlems black community.

Escape

Incidentally, the theme of escape is prominent in work, and it manifests itself in various ways, both obvious and obscure. The first time when the narrator mentions escape is when he passes by the streets of his childhood: It must be said, perhaps, that I had escaped, after all, I was a school teacher (Baldwin 24). Indeed, becoming a school teacher was an achievement for a black man in mid-20th century America.

However, the description of living conditions provided by the author alludes to the fact that the thought of escape for any black person is delusional. Baldwin writes, it looks like a parody of the good, clean, faceless life  God knows the people who live in it do their best to make it a parody [&] The big windows fool no one, they arent big enough to make space out of no space (25). The narrators thoughts contradict his previous statement as if he is fooling himself by thinking that he could ever escape. Despite becoming a teacher, he is surrounded by the same issues, people, and houses as when he was a child. This reinforces the thought that academic and career achievements will not help one to escape from the reality faced by black people in Harlem.

Whether or not escape is possible at all is a question that arises at different points in Sonnys Blues, and for every character, escape is different. Sonnys friend that the narrator meets in the beginning views suicide and death as the only paths to escaping. His reality is hopeless, and it is evident from his words, cant much help old Sonny no more (Baldwin 20). Age, drug use, and sociological situation create a parallel between this character and Sonny, which means that he also believes that there is nothing that can help him escape. Death is seen as a smart choice here because it would provide an escape from the suffering that the character has experienced.

Sonnys story, on the other hand, offers a different answer to the question of escape. Sonny finds his escape in music, which helps him to overcome addiction and brighten up reality. Sherard confirms that for Sonny, music was the only means of surviving through the suffering that he experienced as part of the black community (692). It was similar for many other black people at the time, which is why blues is seen as a primarily African American music genre.

In a way, music helps Sonny to reconnect with the collective identity of black people in a positive way, thus ridding him of the drug addiction and allowing him to find meaning in life. Sherard states Sonnys Blues incorporates Baldwins arguments on the necessity of African Americans awareness of their cultural norms and identities (693). Hence, while the narrator sees escape in living in the same circumstances and environments as white people, Sonnys hope is in forming a strong positive connection with his culture.

Finally, it is critical to note that the narrator, too, finds hope and escape towards the end of the story, although not in the way that he would expect. Nelson shows that the narrators journey from ignorance to understanding and acceptance is what grants him escape in the end (28). It is true that at the beginning of the work, the narrator attempts to ignore and distance himself from the struggles faced by other members of the community.

His ignorance was probably the main reason why he failed to maintain contact with his brother: he wanted to believe that as a good kid, Sonny would face no trouble. However, when he is confronted by the reality of his brothers drug addiction, he is forced to accept it. As Nelson explains, the narrators journey to self-discovery is rooted in recognition of Sonnys anguish and suffering (28). By reconnecting with his brother, the narrator also finds a way to accept reality, with both its positive and negative aspects. For him, acceptance is the key to escape, and the work confirms this idea.

Conclusion

All in all, the themes of drug use, hopelessness, and escape are prominent in Baldwins story. The issues explored by the author reflect his view of life in a black community and are primarily defined by the context of the work. Through portraying both positive and negative aspects of living in a black community, the author opposes the notion of hopelessness and allows both main characters to find an escape from their suffering.

Works Cited

Baldwin, James. Sonnys Blues. The Jazz Fiction Anthology, edited by Sasha Feinstein and David Rife, Indiana University Press, 2009, pp. 17-48.

Kowalska, Eva. Troubled Reading: Sonnys Blues and Empathy. Literator: Journal of Literary Criticism, Comparative Linguistics and Literary Studies, vol. 36, no. 1, 2015, pp. 1-6.

Nelson, Emmanuel S. James Baldwins Vision of Otherness and Community. MELUS, vol. 10, no. 2, 1983, pp. 27-31.

Reilly, John M. Sonnys Blues: James Baldwins Image of Black Community. Critical Insights: James Baldwin, edited by Morris Dickstein, Salem Press, 2010, pp. 230-238.

Sherard, Tracey. Sonnys Bebop: Baldwins Blues Text as Intracultural Critique. African American Review, vol. 32, no. 4, 1998, pp. 691-705.

The human condition refers to the obstacles, important incidents, and occurrences people are faced with that is crucial to human existence. Aspects of human existence that includes childbirth, maturation, feelings, struggle, and death. Due to internal and external forces such as anxiety and living in poverty. In ”Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, these forces makes people’s identities change as they begin to mature. Sonny and the narrator in the story discover and express their identities from their bad experiences living in Harlem, New York. Bad experiences such as growing up around a drug culture and living in poverty, helped shape both Sonny and the narrator’s identity and how they lived their lives.

In ”Sonny’s Blues”, the main protagonists of the story are both Sonny and the narrator. Sonny would be described as someone who is irresponsible, receptive, and naive. Sonny in the story is a troubled man. Sonny fell into the Harlem drug culture and was arrested and did time in jail for selling and using heroin. The narrator finds this out when he reads the newspaper: “He had been picked up, the evening before, in a raid on an apartment downtown, for peddling and using heroin”(Baldwin 17). This shows Sonny got caught up into drugs. Sonny also did not enjoy going to school and found it to be a waste of time. Sonny stated “I ain’t learning nothing in school,” he said. “Even when I go.” (Baldwin 34). He shows he doesn’t like school event though the narrator has told him to keep going to school. He also wants to get out of Harlem due to the terrible environment he’s lived in. Sonny says this in a discussion with the narrator, “Look, brother. I don’t want to stay in Harlem no more, I really don’t”(Baldwin 33). In this Sonny believes that he will change his ways if he leaves Harlem. He also wants to find something he enjoys doing which comes through becoming a jazz musician. When the narrator wants to know what Sonny wants to do in the future, Sonny says “I want to play with jazz musicians”. He stopped. “ I want to play jazz,” he said (Baldwin 31). Sonny has decided he want to be a jazz musician.

The narrator would be described as someone who is closed minded, conventional, and cautious. The narrator is a man with a strict moral code. He is a algebra teacher and served in the army. He is cautious in the environment he is surrounded in, knows that Harlem is plagued with a drug culture, and many people live in poverty. The narrator states this, “all they really knew were two darknessess, the darkness of their lives, which was now closing in on them and the darkness of the movies, which had blinded them to that other darkness”(Baldwin 18). The narrator says that the environment the kids in Harlem live in might catch up to them. He also notices this when he’s teaching the kids at school. The narrator observes, “here I was, talking about algebra to a lot of boys who might, every one of them for all I knew, be popping off needles every time they went to the head, Maybe it did more for them than algebra could”( Baldwin 18). The narrator is afraid that the students might fall into the drug culture the same way his brother Sonny did. He knows that this is how Harlem is as an environment. He is closed minded when it comes to the decisions Sonny wants to make. The narrator says,”I didn’t like his friends, and his music seemed to be merely an excuse for the life he led” (Baldwin 36). It shows the narrator did not support Sonny for trying to be a jazz musician.

Sonny and the narrator’s family environment shaped the way they went through life living in Harlem. Sonny did not get along with his father who was an alcoholic. The narrator states, “the principal reason that they never hit it off is that they were so much alike. Daddy was big and rough and loud talking, just the opposite of Sonny, but they both had that same privacy” (Baldwin 26). This shows Sonny did have a good overall family life but did not have a good relationship with his father. It did not help Sonny when his father passed away when he was 15. Sonny did not have the father figure that would guide him to the right path. Also he had a good relationship with his mother. The mother was the wise one of this story who was always looking out for them. The narrator recalls, “Mama suggested trying to move to a neighborhood which might be safer for children”(Baldwin 26). Sonny loved his parents and when they were gone it changed him. It made him stray away from the right path. The narrator remarks, “he hopes the hand which strokes his forehead will never stop will never die. He hopes that there will never come a time when the old folks won’t be sitting around the living room” ( Baldwin 27). Sonny was still a kid during that time and when his parents passed there wasn’t anybody to look after him. The narrator’s life was shaped by living with his family and being cautious about the outside which he refers as the darkness. The narrator says, “You can see the darkness growing against the windowpanes and you hear the street noises every now and again” (Baldwin 26). This shows where he lives it’s very quiet and can listen to what is happening on the streets. The narrator also feels guilty that Sonny has ended up this way now that his little brother is older. His mother says, “You got to hold on to your brother,” she said,” and don’t let him fall, no matter what it looks like is happening to him and no matter how evil you gets with him”(Baldwin 30). The narrator made a promise to his mother that he would look after Sonny and he ended up forgetting and went to live his life. This is why the narrator feels he has failed as a brother.

Sonny went through multiple ways to make changes in his identity. One way is that the way he thinks he can get his life back together is to somehow get away from Harlem. Sonny tells the narrator, “the reason I wanted to leave Harlem so bad was to get away from drugs” (Baldwin 43). This shows how much Sonny wanted to get away from all the bad influences in Harlem. A way he used to get out of Harlem was to join the army. The narrator recalls, “He went as far as the navy would carry him”. “He finally sent me a postcard from some place in Greece and that was the first I knew Sonny was still alive”(Baldwin 36). This proves Sonny wanted to do anything possible to get out of Harlem and that meant even enlisting in the army. In his struggle, he also uses jazz as his calling to get away from those bad experiences. Sonny starts to play the piano, listening to jazz artists’ records, and eventually finds people to play jazz with. When he plays jazz, Sonny feels respected and praised by the audience he plays to. The narrator notices, “A woman’s voice called Sonny’s name and a few hands started clapping.” “And Sonny, also being funny and being ceremonious, and so touched, I think, that he could have cried” (Baldwin 45). This shows Sonny’s life is much more happier now that he plays jazz with others and to an audience. Sonny went from a troubled man who spent his time with drugs into a jazz musician.

The narrator also is able to change his identity and becomes more accepting towards Sonny’s decision. Before the narrator wanted Sonny to be like a normal person. A normal person as someone who went to school, and get a real job. He wanted Sonny to be someone that would be accepted into society. Also before he didn’t really understand Sonny and that why he didn’t support Sonny’s passion for jazz at first. Sonny suggests, “sure, I can make a living at it.” “But what I don’t seem to understand is that it’s the only thing I want to do” (Baldwin 32). Sonny here tells the narrator that he’s trying to convince him that being a jazz musician is the only thing Sonny wants to do in the future. Then towards the end of the story, when the narrator sees Sonny play the piano, the narrator accepts Sonny’s decision and understands why Sonny wants to be a jazz musician. The narrator observes, “it turned out everyone at the bar knew Sonny, or almost everyone; some were musicians, working there, or nearby, or not working, some were simply hangers-on, and some were there to see Sonny play”(Baldwin 44). With this it showed the narrator that Sonny is thought highly of as a jazz musician. It also made the narrator realize that Sonny is apart of a community and that he is happy there. The narrator went from being closed minded and old fashioned to being much more open minded and not afraid of change.

In conclusion, both Sonny and the narrator struggle past the environment they grew up in and change their identities by the end of the story. Sonny who struggled past addiction and become a jazz musician and the narrator who is more old fashioned and stubborn become more open to change thanks to Sonny. From this, the environment people grow up in can determine their identity, but it is up to them to make the necessary changes to themselves for a better life.

Introduction: The Struggles of Two Brothers in Harlem

When the odds are stacked against you, what do you do? Do you rise above and take your future into your own hands or do you become a victim of your situation? This theme was prevalent throughout the short story “Sonny’s Blues” written in 1957 by James Baldwin. “Sonny’s Blues”, set in Harlem in 1957, touched upon the struggles of two African American brothers, the narrator and Sonny. The narrator is an Algebra teacher in Harlem while Sonny is a heroin addict and drug dealer turned jazz musician. This story focuses on how they finally came to understand each other after years apart and living their own, very different lives. Sonny and the narrator deal with many hardships throughout the story, which all seem to stem from factors pertaining to class and race. Sonny and his brother’s position in society directly relates to Sonny’s drug problems, their living conditions, and the narrator’s inability to relate to his brother and see the world through his eyes due to a distorted view of how the world works. Since these factors heavily contribute to the overall theme and conflicts of the story, a new historical and marxist approach are best when analyzing this text further from different angles.

Historical Context: Harlem in the 1950s

It is important to understand the historical context of “Sonny’s Blues” because it conveys the struggles African Americans faced in regards to racism, the poor choices of drug and alcohol abuse, and poverty many families faced in the 1950’s. During the Harlem Renaissance, artists were free to be themselves, creativity was promoted, and writing and music flourished during the 1920’s and 1930’s. However, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Civil Rights Movement surrounding this time period changed Harlem’s once prosperous nature into one of poverty and sorrow. Baldwin writes “…between the green of the park and the stony, lifeless elegance of hotels and apartment buildings, toward the vivid, killing streets of our childhood” (Baldwin 73). Here, Baldwin paints a contrasting picture of the colorful park against the “lifeless” building and streets to emphasize how Harlem never regained its once greatness. While the narrator has done everything right in life such as served time in the military, attended college, and became an algebra teacher at a local school, his family still remains in the housing projects. This demonstrates how hard it was to escape a life of poverty in 1950 Harlem.

The Scourge of Drug Abuse in Urban Areas

Another important historical context for this story was drug abuse. Drug abuse became predominant in the urban areas in the 1950’s. The most popular illegal drugs at the time were marijuana and heroin. Heroin became predominant in the urban areas after World War II where it was widely distributed, and marijuana saw an increase in usage, particularly among the youth. The abundance of drugs and gangs in Harlem at the time played a big role in Sonny’s drug abuse which ultimately landed him in jail. If it weren’t for the rapid distribution and usage of drugs, Sonny possibly could’ve ended up in a better position in life like his brother.

Music as a Form of Expression and Rebellion

The 1950’s were a difficult period for African Americans to flourish in the music industry, especially due to segregation and the Civil Rights Movement. During the early 1950’s, a new jazz called Bebop emerged. Those who listened to Bebop were looking for a replacement for the music Sonny referred to as “old-time, down home crap” such as Louis Armstrong (Baldwin 79). Bebop became a way of expression, escape, and happiness for Sonny. He wanted to move past the traditional conventions of music and express new notions of individual freedom and artistic liberty. Sonny’s music was more than just a backdrop for his drug use. When he first tells the narrator that he wants to play jazz, the narrator tries to indicate he will have to play the music that he can make a living out of, not necessarily what he wants to play. “‘No, I don’t know that,’ said Sonny, surprising me. ‘I think people ought to do what they want to do, what else are they alive for’” (Baldwin 80)? Sonny is saying we should not let the system dictate who we are, and is instead insisting we rebel against the normal standards. He and his fellow bandmates on stage wanted to find new ways to make society listen, even at the risk of ruin, destruction, madness, and death.

Dark Imagery: Reflecting the Grim Realities of Harlem

Baldwin additionally creates lots of dark imagery to emphasize this gloomy time period in Harlem. He often speaks of the darkness of the events, people, and Harlem itself, which ultimately represents the poverty and sorrow that the narrator and his brother are forced to live in. In fact, images of darkness are present from the very beginning of the story when the narrator learns of Sonny’s arrest. The narrator said he felt “trapped in the darkness which roared outside” (Baldwin 67). Having this dark imagery first appear from the very beginning of the story sets the negative tone in Harlem for the rest of the story. This theme then continues on in the first flashback when the families’ normal Sunday activities are introduced. While one would expect it to be a happy and fulfilling time, the narrator often refers to the “darkness” that has settled over everyone as the adults speak of their past and where they’ve come from (Baldwin 75). Showing how a simple family-filled Sunday afternoon quickly turns into silence as the night falls, demonstrates the significance and impact their dark childhood had on them, even now as adults. With the passing of their parents, Sonny’s drug addiction which lands him in jail, and the passing of the narrator’s daughter, the narrator and Sonny continue to suffer many tragedies throughout their lives which ultimately keep the darkness hanging over their heads.

A Marxist Perspective: Class and Racial Oppression

Switching now to a marxist approach, Baldwin tackles issues of race and class in “Sonny’s Blues” without directly referring to the tumultuous 1950’s in which it was written. The story shows how the inequalities of race in the United States have resulted in permanent underclass status and misery for the black community. Social and economic structures work together to doom the lives of African Americans, who can only internalize this for so long.

The narrator gives us a look into the lives of African Americans as the bottom class of the societal structure. The idea of the hopelessness of their social status is repeated throughout the story. On the day he learns of Sonny’s incarceration, the narrator looks out of the window from his classroom and sees the boys in the schoolyard, and describes their lives as being lived in darkness and filled with rage (Baldwin 67). Here, it is clear that this darkness does not stem from adulthood, but rather childhood surroundings. When he later picks up Sonny from jail, he repeats this idea, “But houses exactly like the houses of our past yet dominated the landscape, boys exactly like the boys we once had been found themselves smothering in these houses, came down into the streets for light and air and found themselves encircled by disaster. Some escaped the trap, most didn’t” (Baldwin 73). The idea Baldwin is suggesting is that these housing projects are not the safest and neither are the streets where the children can get fresh “light and air”. The last line of this quote is short but significant. The trap Baldwin is referring to is life itself. While many could consider the narrator as someone who “escaped the trap”, realistically he didn’t. Yes, he didn’t fall into bad habits like Sonny, but at the end of the day, he is right back where he started–in the slum streets of Harlem living in a housing project. Furthermore, when the narrator was walking down the street with Sonny’s boyhood friend, he passed a bar and saw a waitress and commented, “When she smiled one saw the little girl, one sensed the doomed, still-struggling woman beneath the battered face of the semi-whore” (Baldwin 69). Not everyone in Harlem was fortunate enough to become a math teacher. For most boys and girls, options were very limited. Sonny and this waitress are two examples of how people like them don’t get many chances to escape and end up getting the degrading and low paying jobs. Through the narrator, Baldwin is making the point that African Americans are born doomed because of their race and their class in society.

Life and hope are constantly juxtaposed against death and hopelessness. For example, the green of the park leads to the “killing streets of our childhood” (73). And, when the narrator recalls watching his parents sit with church people in the house, he comments on how silence came with nightfall, and as the lights came on in the house, the children were filled with darkness (Baldwin 75). Both quotes here demonstrate the darkness and hopelessness that surrounds African Americans. At every corner there is darkness. Furthermore, when Sonny is looking out the window of his brother’s apartment and says “‘All that hatred down there,’’ he said, ‘’all that hatred and misery and love. It’s a wonder it doesn’t blow the avenue apart’’ (Baldwin 89). While this is not a call to action by Baldwin, it is a warning. Baldwin is telling the ruling capitalist class that their system of class and racial oppression will result in rebellion, in the avenue blowing apart. Throughout the story the narrator paints a picture of the light and happiness only for it to be replaced instead by darkness and death. All of this is a result of the race and class of the narrator and his family.

The narrator refers to faith twice, and in both instances, seems to tell us that religion does not save everyone, especially those at the bottom of society. Later in the story, the narrator watches out his apartment window as a group of supposedly religious people sing a song about saving souls. The narrator comments, “Not a soul under the sound of their voices was hearing this song for the first time, not one of them had been rescued. Nor had they seen much in the way of rescue work being done around them” (Baldwin 85). The narrator is commenting how singing religious songs will not do anyone any good. He has lost his faith in God and doesn’t believe any spiritual being can save everyone. Additionally, Sonny comments “Give my love to Isabel and the kids and I was sure sorry to hear about little Gracie. I wish I could be like Mama and say the Lord’s will be done, but I don’t know it seems to me that trouble is the one thing that never does get stopped and I don’t know what good it does to blame it on the Lord. But maybe it does some good if you believe it” (Baldwin 71-72). Sonny is separating himself from Mama because he himself does not believe in the Lord. Without saying it directly, author Baldwin has made the point that it is the American capitalist system and class structure, with black people at the bottom, which has relegated these people to hopeless lives. He also shows through the narrator and the church people, that playing by the rules and living within the social structures and institutions of that society, fail to help the people.

Conclusion: The Inescapable Traps of Society and Systemic Injustice

After looking through a historical and marxist lens, it is clear that the 1950’s, race, and class are all important to consider when reading “Sonny’s Blues”. This story is in essence a tale of two brothers, both black and both near the bottom rung of society. The narrator lives within the structures predetermined by a racist and classist society while Sonny instead chose a rebellious life through jazz and drugs in an attempt to control his own life. Through both of them, we glimpse the hopelessness of the lives of African Americans imposed by the broken societal system. We see how even religion is not enough to solve this issue, and thus rebellion is the only solution. However, if society fails to change and find a way to fix the problem, it will result in violence in the streets to overthrow the system in place.

Written by James Baldwin, Sonny’s Blues is a short story found in the novel Going to Meet the Man. The main character is Sonny’s brother; the narrator. The narrator expresses his brother’s suffering as a drug addict. Although the narrator is alienated from his family and neighborhood, he does understand it. Talking of alienation, the narrator has poor family ties especially with his only sibling Sonny; the younger brother.

The narrator discovers from the daily newspaper that his brother, Sonny, is in jail. Sonny is a drug-addict and during one of the police crackdowns, he ends up in jail. When the narrator realizes the trouble his brother is in, he feels guilty and fears for his life and future. He feels as though a cloud of darkness is hovering around his life.

While at school, he is unable to concentrate in class and feels as though his life is tumbling down. He is unable to come to terms with the tragic lifestyle his brother engages in. Although the narrator has a younger brother, he only knows about his fate through the newspaper.

Conventionally, one would expect the family members to be the first to know that Sonny has been arrested; unfortunately, the big chasm that stands between Sonny and the narrator bars any communication and sadly the narrator can only learn of his brother’s fate via the media. What a way of communication! The two live in separate worlds and they care less about the other and this underscores how alienated the narrator is from his brother.

The narrator is also less friendly to his students and in most cases he dismissed them as drug addicts. As the lesson ends, the narrator feels relieved; however, he starts thinking about his life of Sonny’s life only to realize the two live as aliens and there is need to reunite. This realization underlines the fact that the narrator understands the bearing alienation that follows him like a shadow.

As the story unfolds, alienation also unfolds at the same rate; the narrator sees all his students as drug addicts as if he were better than them oblivious of the fact that if one is not ‘infected’ s/he is ‘affected’ and in this case the narrator is affected because his brother is ‘infected’; unfortunately, the narrator is so alienated that he turns apathetic.

He watches children play but does not understands why people associate with children for he is alienated in the first place so he cannot appreciate this kind of an association. Although the children are happy and shout while on the playground, he does not see the reason for their happiness.

Alienation continues to surface as one of Sonny’s friends comes to the school compound to tell the narrator about his brother’s imprisonment. From the conversation that ensues, it is evident that the narrator hates Sonny’s friend. For instance, although the boy lives in the narrator’s neighborhood, he never associates with him.

He describes him as ‘cunning boy’, and regrets why he always gave the ‘cunning boy’ fifty cents during his borrowing escapades. However, the boy seems friendly and tells him about Sonny but the narrator already knows. He offers the boy a cigarette hence proves that despite condemning the drug addicts he is also a smoker. Sonny’s friend asks the narrator why the police did not get him, which he sarcastically answers, “I wasn’t there.

I stay away from people” (Baldwin 553). Furthermore, the boy asks the narrator what is his next step about his brother’s condition; but he rudely says nothing; if anything the narrator has not seen Sonny for more than a year. The narrator does not even know his brother’s residence before imprisonment. Two forms of alienation come out at this point; first, the narrator is alienated from himself; he does not understand himself.

He smokes yet he condemns addicts as if there were ‘good’ and ‘bad’ addicts. Secondly, he confesses that he ‘stays away from people’ and this remark is enough to suffice hoe deep the narrator is alienated from his surroundings; he doe not even know Sonny’s friend by name yet they live in the same neighborhood. Therefore as expected, he does not plan to visit his brother in prison.

On their way to home, the narrator and the boy enter a bar where the narrator sees a little girl as a barmaid and feels pity for her. However, he dislikes the way of life of people in the bar, their houses, and music. He does not want to associate with them yet they are his neighbors and fellow black men.

The lifestyle of his neighbors seems malevolent to him. On the other hand, he is eager to know about his brother’s fate in the prison but Sonny’s friend reassures him of his release after rehabilitation. The narrator is happy about his brother’s freedom in the future. The two reach at the railway station and part ways. However, the boy has no fare and the narrator gives him some to board the train.

At the end of their interaction, a friendship bond culminates between them and the narrator regrets hating the boy before. Furthermore, he promises to write Sonny as soon as possible. Although the narrator hates his neighbors, he tries hard to connect with them, as it is the case with Sonny’s friend. Therefore, at last the narrator starts to break the chains of alienation that have bound him for ages; at least he starts connecting with people as the journey of cracking alienation starts.

As the chains of alienations falls one by one, the narrator manages to scribble a letter to his brother after losing his younger daughter to polio. Luckily, Sonny replies the letter but he rues his brother’s negligence and rudeness. The letter becomes the turning point for the two brothers and they reconnect once again. The letter brings back the lost unity between the two brothers; in fact, the narrator sends his brother some basic things to use while in prison.

After accepting that he has been alienated not only from people, but also to himself, the narrator embarks on a journey to heal those he hurt during his dark past. Sonny is out of prison and the narrator goes to New York to fetch him. He is so happy to see his younger brother but he is bothered about his seemingly bleak future that lurks ahead.

During the encounter, their childhood friendship blossoms again. The narrator reflects his brother’s life when he was a toddler, which attracts him even more. On their way home, they pass through their childhood streets.

He describes the ramshackle houses with poor lighting they lived in, their sex escapades and the stores in which they looted as pats of their escapades. Although it is fifteen years later, the street remains the same save for a few new buildings. The narrator does not want to live in such street. He is proud that he is a schoolteacher and pity’s those who live their; it is important to mention during his past years the narrator was apathetic but now he can afford to sympathize with the poor in society. That is a plus!

At home, there is a family reunion and Sonny gives the narrator’s kids some gifts. The narrator reflects on his family before the death of his parents. He remembers his father’s drunkenness, which was the cause of his death. Additionally, Sonny had a strong relationship with his late father for alcoholism was a common denominator in their lives. The narrator’s mother was always protective and during their last meeting, he had no time for her hence they did not chat at all.

Unfortunately, his mother died when he had gone to war. The narrator had a poor parent to child relationship hence the poor bondage between them. However, the narrator now feels the void that his mother left as she passed on. Finally, the narrator allows his brother to venture into music as a pianist; his passion. During their reunion he meets one of Sonny’s friend whom he works with, he watches as he plays the piano and even buys him a cup of milk, which bonds them again as a family.

In conclusion, the narrator is alienated from his family, friends, neighbors and self. He understands his alienation and it is easy for him to overcome it. After spending a considerable time in self infatuation and self righteousness, he finally starts to appreciate the people around him starting with Sonny’s friend, through the little girl in the bar to Sonny himself. As the story closes, the narrator develops strong relationship with those around him and therefore he manages to overcome his alienation.

Works Cited

Baldwin, James.Going to Meet the Man. United States: Dial press, 1965.