Category: Sonny’s Blues

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 “Sonny’s 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 Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blue” in many instances. Right from the demise of the author’s daughter to the appalling drug addiction by Sonny coupled with the dreadful murder of the narrator’s cherished uncle, the theme of suffering controls the community in numerous ways. As Sonny fervently posits, suffering in the community is hardly unavoidable. Baldwin’s art depicts suffering in the narration through the darkness that invades the lives of the speaker’s 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 Sonny’s 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 Baldwin’s major idea on the racism aspect in the art will be deeply discussed, the death of the speaker’s 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. Sonny’s father also feels tormented by the perpetual reminiscence of the brother’s 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, Sonny’s 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 narrator’s anxiety towards his learners can be attached to Sonny’s 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 speaker’s 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.

Sonny’s 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 narrator’s 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 individual’s 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 Baldwin’s art titled Sonny’s 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. Sonny’s 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 Sonny’s 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. Sonny’s 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 Sonny’s 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. “Sonny’s 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.

“Sonny’s 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 brother’s 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 you’s 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 Isabel’s 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 narrator’s 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 mother’s 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 Sonny’s 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 brother’s 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, Sonny’s 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 individual’s 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.

Introduction

“Sonny’s 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 narrator’s brother, Sonny, has recently been arrested for using heroin. Kowalska explains that “Sonny’s 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 Sonny’s 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 father’s brother’s 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 Sonny’s image and the narrator’s 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 narrator’s 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 author’s exploration of whether or not it is possible to escape the life experienced by Harlem’s 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 aren’t big enough to make space out of no space” (25). The narrator’s 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 “Sonny’s Blues,” and for every character, escape is different. Sonny’s 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, “can’t 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.

Sonny’s 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 “Sonny’s Blues” incorporates Baldwin’s 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, Sonny’s 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 narrator’s 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 brother’s drug addiction, he is forced to accept it. As Nelson explains, the narrator’s journey to self-discovery is rooted in recognition of Sonny’s 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 Baldwin’s 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. “Sonny’s Blues.” The Jazz Fiction Anthology, edited by Sasha Feinstein and David Rife, Indiana University Press, 2009, pp. 17-48.

Kowalska, Eva. “Troubled Reading: ‘Sonny’s 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 Baldwin’s Vision of Otherness and Community.” MELUS, vol. 10, no. 2, 1983, pp. 27-31.

Reilly, John M. “‘Sonny’s Blues’: James Baldwin’s Image of Black Community.” Critical Insights: James Baldwin, edited by Morris Dickstein, Salem Press, 2010, pp. 230-238.

Sherard, Tracey. “Sonny’s Bebop: Baldwin’s Blues Text as Intracultural Critique.” African American Review, vol. 32, no. 4, 1998, pp. 691-705.

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 Sonny’s life. The protagonist in Baldwin feels Sonny’s fate through the blues and also runs away from reality. Reality presses the protagonist, and he chooses to run away from it. The protagonist’s younger brother becomes a heroin addict under arrest, and he could have prevented this tragedy. However, he ignored Sonny’s addiction; now, he feels like he abandoned a member of his family. Blues also refers to the protagonist’s 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 protagonist’s suffering is, in my opinion, an escape from the past and constant regrets. He sees Sonny’s 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). Sonny’s blues James Baldwin full audiobook[Video]. YouTube. Web.