A Dream In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

In the short story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin there were characters whose dreams were stated, one of which were shattered by drugs and misfortune and others which would eventually come to be true. Harlem-life has been retold throughout many pieces of African-American literature, ranging from voices expressed in 1925 publication of “The New Negro” to James Baldwin’s fictional short story “Sonny’s Blues,” published in 1957. Echoing throughout different pieces are the words and visions of “a dream deferred,” challenging readers to place themselves into the harsh culture that African-Americans have to wake up to every morning. In “Sonny’s Blues,” a character offers this account of Harlem: “All that hatred down there… all that hatred and misery and love. It’s a wonder it

In 'I, Too, Sing America' there is a theme of overcoming. The poem does not allow the racism and mistreatment to define him. Rather, he makes the promise that he will not only overcome it, he will sit at the same table and make those around him be ashamed of how he was once treated. Referring back to Sonny’s Blues, Sonny is overcoming a drug problem and turns his life around and follows his dream of being a musician and now he can make everyone who doubted him ashamed similar to the speaker in I, Too. The speaker does not let the actions of Whites create hatred for himself or his race. Also similar to Sonny, the speaker does not allow himself to feel inferior or weak. Instead, he argues that he is growing stronger, that these moments create an urgency and a desire to be more than what America or Harlem is allowing. Freedom is the big goal. In the poem and story they both refused to buckle under the awful pressures of slavery, oppression and drugs, the speakers move ever closer towards eventual freedom and racial