ipl-logo

Hard Life In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

1159 Words5 Pages

Jonathan Armstead
ENGL 364 6380
September 27, 2015

Essay 2

In this paper I will be supporting an argument about how the short story “Sonny's Blues” by James Baldwin paints a theme in the reader's mind about how people used different ways to escape life in the ghetto. It is obvious that Sonny uses music and drugs as his escape from a hard life, while his brother tries to “assimilate” into society by becoming a middle-class worker in education. Even though this story has a lot of themes and symbolism, I chose this theme because I can easily relate to it in this present age where drugs are still a major problem in this country and there are many people who share Sonny's escape from a hard life. My argument is how the short …show more content…

For Baldwin, the blues are not a specific genre of music, but rather something more universal. The narrator explains that the blues are "the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph" (Baldwin p.139). Given this definition, the story "Sonny's Blues" is a blues piece in itself because it begins with the suffering of two brothers, follows their growing sense of communion, and ends with the triumph of brotherly love over suffering. The narrator admits that this formula isn't new, but claims that "it's the only light we've got in all this darkness" (Baldwin p.139). The story “Sonny's Blues" is an attempt, much like Sonny's actual music, to relate with its audience and, through understanding and compassion, to relieve suffering. Baldwin is not playing, but writing the blues. This is why I chose this work by Baldwin, because it is indeed a beautiful work of art about suffering and redemption. Sonny also comments on "how much suffering [the revival singer] must have had to go through" (Baldwin p.139) in order to sing so beautifully, Sonny understands this, he must know that his suffering and his passion for music must make his work beautiful

Show More
Related
521 Words | 3 Pages

As a matter of fact, the storyteller does not appreciate Sonny's motivations to play jazz music until the evening he socially joins Sonny to his stage show at a nightclub. Sitting in a dark corner at the nightclub, the storyteller listens to his brother play, considering the reminder of Sonny's friend, Creole, of what the Blues are about, "The tale, of the blues, how we live, and how we are delighted, how we suffer... and how we triumph... must be heard... it's the only light we've got in all this darkness." (Baldwin 139). For the narrator, he perceives that the Blues is the manifestation for Sonny's emotions, especially his suffering, because, as Creole would say, music is the only light in the

Read More
236 Words | 1 Pages

James Baldwin is a well recognized American novelist and social critic. He creates a unique approach in his writing bringing the readers into the story both in terms of visuals and emotions. James Baldwin's short story , Sonny's Blues demonstrates his unique style approach and deals with the theme of exposing the reader to the profound challenges of poverty and racism. Baldwin enables the reader to trade shoes with the narrator and Sonny; experiencing their hard and brutal upbringing in Harlem, New York.

Read More
1245 Words | 5 Pages

In “Sonny’s Blues”, the narrator, whom is an unnamed brother of Sonny and protagonist of the story, explains his life in Harlem. This story was written by James Baldwin, in 1957. James Baldwin was born in New York, but grew up in Harlem where times were tough. He had a background as a preacher, so a text from the Book of Genesis in the Bible, has a similarity towards “Sonny’s Blues”. The narrator is a husband, father, son, and brother.

Read More
197 Words | 1 Pages

Blues of hopes engages mainly with James Baldwin’s short story Sonny's Blues. In Sonny's Blues, the author depicts essentially two characters, two brothers: the first one who gets lost in his illusion of relative social success and the other, who is trying to find his way outside the box. Like Sonny's Blues, Blues of Hope tries to engage the reader in the risky attempt the find, not only another way, but also a better way outside our common social life, our traditional perception of life and our social success standard. Blues of Hope might be considered, firstly, as a monologue reflecting the state of mind of a suffering person, like sonny's brother who is in a personal quest for salvation. A real intimate monologue, whose beginning has the

Read More
1083 Words | 5 Pages

Blues music, whether wordless or not, helps listeners form a deep personal connection with the music and feel the pain and and suffering of the performance. The musicians music allows for their pain to be relieved even if it is a temporary relief. Baldwin expresses the sorrow in the low points and joy in the high points in Sonny’s battle with drug addiction while also relating music to biblical allusions and darkness through the use of the music in Sonny’s Blues. James

Read More
1184 Words | 5 Pages

In that moment the narrator finally understands Sonny’s love for music. Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” displays the theme of brotherly love to illustrate, that love can keep a family together no matter how many fights or issues there may be. Baldwin demonstrates the theme of brotherly love all through this story. The first example we see of brotherly love is when the two brothers are reunited after not seeing each other for months.

Read More
722 Words | 3 Pages

As a musician, Sonny takes his misery and that of people around him and changes it into something beautiful. Like characters from the Bible, Sonny chooses salvation, but his fate is uncertain. Perhaps, his suffering is a price paid for being an artist. Moreover, there is something Christlike concerning Sonny's agony, and his suffering is at once redemptive and inevitable (King and Lynn 35-37). In fact, at the end of the text, it remains unclear whether he will continue suffering from playing music or whether a greater redemption and peace await everyone involved.

Read More
1441 Words | 6 Pages

From the very beginning of the tale, the sorrow is palpable through the unnamed narrator 's discovery of Sonny 's incarceration, and moreover through the atmosphere created by Mr. Baldwin. The most prominent message that can be deciphered and recognized in Sonny 's Blues is that the sadness and sorrow that one experiences in their life can bring about many obstacles but it can be countered and used for something greater by a search for understanding and acceptance. James Baldwin establishes this implication through the use of his characters; the narrator, Sonny, and the singer seen on the street. All these characters experience sorrow and sadness in their

Read More
838 Words | 4 Pages

Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin was a short story about the struggles of living in a tough, rundown neighborhood and looking to drugs as a way out. Baldwin’s intent on writing this piece focuses on pain and suffering. The author stresses that not everybody is born in the best circumstances. Sonny was one of those people who grew up in a rickety town where people often did not make it out successful.

Read More
692 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the story of “Sonny’s Blues”, James Baldwin develops a theme that can still be related with today. The misunderstanding and lack of knowledge that the narrator experiences, about his brother, is something that many today feel, as their own family members are being prosecuted and they do not comprehend why. Within the story, there are numerous subtle ideas that are used to progress the story and theme along to the ending that is given. James Baldwin advances the theme of his story, that misfortune and anguish can be renovated into a unique art form, using characterizations, settings, and symbolisms. One of the main literary devices that is used to express the theme is characterization.

Read More
1324 Words | 6 Pages

Fictional writing is usually done just to entertain readers. Authors create stories with a little bit of point of view, while others introduce more complex plots and storylines which is incredible. When it comes to author James Baldwin’s short story Sonny’s Blues, there is more deep meaning given to the storyline and the characters. Sonny’s Blues probably has been analyzed by professors, students, and by many different people throughout time because the story has many elements. An amazing but simple story about a man and his brother that informs and entertains us about their family, drug addiction, socio economic struggles in the Black community, and the language of Jazz music.

Read More
909 Words | 4 Pages

As Donald C. Murray has said in his article, “James Baldwin’s ‘Sonny’s Blues’: Complicated and Simple”, “Images of light and darkness are used by Baldwin… ( Murray 354)”. Also, Baldwin is able to tell a story that can make the reader visualize what is happening to this character Sonny, even though it is being narrated through the eyes and perspective of his older brother. He portrays the older brother as someone who can understand and recognizes the internal struggles of Sonny and be compassionate about them, even though the elder brother does not agree with all the life choices his brother has

Read More
813 Words | 4 Pages

In James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” the author uses Sonny’s struggle for a redeemed life to push the narrator toward the realization of his own need for rescue; through this realization, the narrator can find his identity and be free from his sadness. The narrator needs rescuing from himself. He hides behind a curtain of denial trying to protect himself from emotional reality. The narrator struggles to understand when and how Sonny began his troubles with drug addiction; he does not understand where he went wrong in being a role model for his younger brother. Now, years later the narrator is a school teacher who is trying to be a role model for the young boys in his class.

Read More
1465 Words | 6 Pages

In James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” the author uses Sonny’s struggle for a redeemed life to push the narrator toward the realization of his own need for rescue; through this realization, the narrator can find his identity and be free from his sadness. The narrator needs rescue from his guilt of

Read More
2048 Words | 9 Pages

In fiction, the narrator controls how the audience connects to and perceives the various characters in a story. A good author can manipulate the narration to connect the audience to certain characters and deepen the reader’s understanding of their conflicts. In “Previous Condition” and “Sonny’s Blues,” James Baldwin illustrates themes of loneliness and isolation in the pursuit of finding a space that feels like home. Although this theme is clear in both stories, Baldwin is able to portray it very differently in each story through the relationship he allows the reader to the characters struggling with these feelings. While “Previous Condition” provides a more intimate relationship to the narrator, “Sonny’s Blues” is able to deliver an additional level of understanding by telling the story through Sonny’s brother, therefore disconnecting the reader in a way that forces him or her to share the characters’ feelings of isolation and confusion.

Read More

More about Hard Life In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

Related Topics

Open Document