”Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and ”Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Things Fall Apart and World of Ideas by Chinua Achebe
Sonny’s Blues and The Price of the Ticket by James Baldwin
Conclusions
References

Introduction

The readings under analysis are Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin. Both stories are devoted to the theme of black people sufferings through the cultural and social misunderstandings and conflicts. The authors managed to illustrate cruel struggles both personal and intercultural reflecting hurts and sufferings of the society.

Things Fall Apart and World of Ideas by Chinua Achebe

Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe is focused on the intercultural problem of African society. The author analyzed and highlighted gradual disappearing of a culture. This novel is an address of the writer to the cultural society; to people suffering cultural changes and facing intercultural conflicts. The basic theme of the novel is Ibo culture which is to be changed because of the pressure on the part of the external forces.

The main idea of the story is to show the process of cultural degradation made by people of different race. The idea of Things Fall Apart is global and thought provoking. The author raised the problem of racial discrimination and minority. Not in vain the structure of the novel covers gradual description of the Ibo customs and traditions before the white colonizers’ arrival. It means that the author strived to underline the significance of his favorite cultural form.

The introduction of the protagonist of the story Okonkwo is the link to the main problems of the text. The first point to analyze is the social status within the culture described. Okonkwo is a representative of a hard working social community where work is always rewarded.

“If a child washed his hands he could eat with kings” (Achebe, 293)

Nevertheless the author managed to show how high social status can change a person and his view on the society he lives in. The position in the society which is appreciated may lead to the mental change of a man which was proved by the author on the example of the protagonist.

The second point which deserves analysis in the story is devoted to religious and political aspect of the culture. Here the book can be compared with one more author’s work World of Ideas. It is a video recording where the writer raised the problem of intercultural interaction. The theme is similar to the book under analysis. The author wanted to show how Africa views American culture. He tried to underline the fact that colonial regimes never promoted and supported democracy. Such policy resulted in many modern problems faced by contemporary Africa. (Timberg, 2008)

Both the book and the video highlight problematic side of the cultural aspect. Achebe tries to stress the fact how other big developing cultures can influence small ones. He underlined the effects of this impact both on the population Africa in World of Ideas and the inhabitants of Ibo in Things Fall Apart.

The story Things Fall Apart highlights some episodes of killings and cruelty which is above understanding for the inhabitants of the village. The problem of racial discrimination and intercultural conflict is sharply presented in the center of the story. Things Fall Apart discloses the change of the whole culture which was not global but had the right for existence. It is important to note that the arrival of the white nation brings vivid transformation of the whole community.

The author shows how the invaders change the structure of the fixed norms in the village. He tries to grab attention to the point that all legal and political tenets are completely changed with the interference of another nation and race. This inequality and intercultural conflict gives a start to the war between two societies bringing a lot of sufferings to the whole community. Complete change of the cultural structure results in the usual cultural taboo disappearance and values change. Complete transformation of the social order in the village cannot but influence the cultural place in the community. (Louisa, 2007)

One more central point to discuss in the story is the problem of unity. The author tried to show the gradual way of the wholesome society to the complete destroy of the culture developed by them. The story discloses the main reason for the failure of the black community. He stresses the fact that the following of the individual interests of the protagonist of the story results in the enemies’ victory. Political features are as well underlined in the story. Thus, the author stressed that the town

“never went to war unless its case was clear”(Achebe, 299)

Things Fall Apart is also the illustration of the women’s role in the Ibo society. By describing this aspect of the story the author tries to express his respect to the culture and values of the village. He notes that women have a special place; they are respected and are considered to be the main educators for the children. Besides, the author underlined the fact that the first wife of the Ibo man is especially respected by the society.

“the others [other wives] could not drink before her” (22)

This theme is disclosed by the author in order to show his love to his motherland; he wanted to highlight the aspect of cultural values of Ibo society which was devoted to their land and people living around them. (Louisa, 2007)

So, the analysis of the Things Fall Apart and World of Ideas provides a clear picture of the main problems raised in the text which are the following:

Intercultural conflict;
Racial inequality;
Cultural disappearance;
Social position discrimination;
The role of the woman in the society;
The meaning of the social community;

Evaluation of the main aspects of the story gives an opportunity to read between the lines and see the profound sense of the text. World of Ideas and Things Fall Apart show the combination of global problems existing in the society in previous centuries. Ibo culture reflected its power and value in the society being not strong enough to fight another civilization and win their place in the world. The author showed a thought provoking idea as to underlining the features of historical cultural development together with the peculiarities of the nation.

Sonny’s Blues and The Price of the Ticket by James Baldwin

The analysis of one more story Sonny’s Blues written by James Baldwin shows that it is also devoted to the theme of African society and its problems and sufferings. In comparison with the above mentioned analysis this story concerns more personal questions covering family relations within the African society.

The main theme of the story under consideration is sufferings. The thing is that the story covers hurts and troubles of Black people living in America. It is important to underline the fact that the story is written from the first person which is aimed at showing the narrators attitude to the atmosphere he lives in. African society in the American community is shown to be in extreme conditions in which they had to fight for their survival and place in the state.

On the example of a small family the author managed to disclose all the peculiarities of that time. Oppressive society surrounding black families influenced their moral and physical state; people had no chance to live in normal standard conditions as the entire American nation. The author highlighted the main characters who try to escape sharp pain underlining the reasons for their unhappiness and sufferings. (Annette, 2002)

The theme showed in the story is considerably reflected in his biographical video The Price of the Ticket. The author never tried to hide his origin and social position. The problems of his novel and video film are closely interacted. The video discloses all the facts from his life and life of his family. He managed to disclose all the aspects of his personal life. He showed the relation of white nation he suffered and how it was reflected on his close friends. The problems raised in the story and in the film cover the same aspects of the authors’ life and the life of Africans. (Boyd, 2008).

The theme of racism is considered to be the central one in the story and in the film. The characters of Sonny’s Blues used to suffer the hatred of the representatives of the white community and fight misunderstanding and humiliation on the part of white race; the same feelings suffered the author during his life as it was shown in The Price of the Ticket. (Boyd, 2008) The idea of describing African culture and society is considered to be important as it reflects the reality of that time when the question of racial discrimination was the central one.

Sonny, a character of the story, plays the role of one of the leading people presented in the masterpiece. The author used a number of stylistic devices in order to make the text more living and involving. For example, the usage of metaphors used in order to underline the feeling of fear:

“A great block of ice got settled in my belly and kept melting there slowly all day long…” (Baldwin, 277).

The description of two brothers’ sensibilities clash highlights the relations within the family but concerning global aspects of the whole African community. The same topic is described in the video The Price of the Ticket. Drug usage and murders are the global problem existing in African society. The author showed another lower level of the whole nation on the example of his characters. Sonny’s Blues covers the lives only of several people though it is possible to see the deep meaning of the contents. The author tried to compare and contrast the position of two different races showing the level of discrimination of that time.

The story under analysis is rather symbolic. The usage of literary means was compulsory in the story because they made it more alive and emotionally colored. The sphere of music is not the most meaningless in the analysis. Two brothers’ relationships are based on music in future; they are deep and exciting. The author tried to show their mutual relations at different stages of their life. He stresses how time can change everything.

Two brothers became respect the interests of each other. One of the themes of the story is also considered to be growing understanding reached by them with the time. Though the story abounds in negative aspects and problems such as race discrimination, national sufferings and drugs promotion, the author managed to devote the climax of the story to the reaching of the harmony between two close people no matter in what conditions they appeared to be. (Annette, 2002)

So, Baldwin managed to highlight the most important aspects and problems of the nation of African origin. He stressed the humiliation on the part of white people in their attitude to Africans and the social position of black people who were under the influence of drugs promotion.

Conclusions

Comparing these two stories disclosing the peculiarities of African culture it should be stressed that both authors successfully reflected the problematic side of intercultural conflicts. The authors managed to disclose the basic themes of their novels in the vivid in order to illustrate problematic aspects in more vivid and emotional way. Both texts are devoted to the racial discrimination which made a millions of black people suffer unjust and cruel attitude. The peculiarities of the African culture structure prove the power of the black community but their inability to resist the majority. All the characters in the stories carry symbolic features because they are the reflection of the African culture and society in its fight for self respect and self realization.

Thus, what is important is the structure of the mentality of black and white people. Being in minority black people have no chance to win their place for normal life because it is almost impossible to resist the majority of white society. Both stories managed to show fight with racism dominating in the period of the texts creations. The authors depicted the division of the society according to race, social position and class. Such division was reached by people themselves due to their disability to live in unity and national friendship.

References

Chinua Achebe. Things Fall Apart. In Mack, Maynard. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces. 1997.

Luisa, Maria. Achebe’s Lament for a Vanishing World. NY, 2007.

Baldwin, James. Sonny’s Blues. Creative Education. 1993.

Torrez, Annette. Identity in America. Center, USA. 2002.

Boyd, Herb. James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket. NY, 2008.

Timberg, Bernard. Bill Moyers: The Theme of the World of Ideas. US. 2008.

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