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A Moment Of Redemption In James Baldwin's Sonny

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Both the narrator and Sonny have experienced upsetting events that have made them into who they are. Sonny was a drug addict that went to prison but found himself through music and the narrator broke his promise to his mother but restores the relationship with his brother, which renews the promise he had made. A moment of redemption happens in the story when the two brothers are saved during Sonny’s jazz show. For Sonny, his moment of redemption happens through the music he is playing. Although his brother thinks it is silly for him to be so involved in it, this is Sonny’s way of battling his demons. He is basically able to put his heart and soul into music rather than putting his time into drugs and other corrupt things. For the narrator, his salvation comes a little differently. …show more content…

Adriana Teran and Aaron Suduiko describe it as this, “More dramatically, the narrator’s moment of redemption occurs while finally listening to his brother play; Sonny’s music allows him to understand his brother’s struggles and through them understand his own.” As the narrator is listening to his brother’s music, he is finally understanding his brother’s passion for music, therefore, this is a moment of restoration between the brother’s

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616 Words | 3 Pages

He turns to drugs to cope with his problems. All that pain, hurt and emotions he felt in his past life was lived though the music and making him feel he belonged. For example, the narrator to hear Sonny suffering, it took his own suffering, through his daughters passing till he started to gain compassion for his brother while he sat alone and n the darkness in his living room, he thought “…I suddenly thought of Sonny. My trouble had made his real.” That situation lead to opportunity to reconnect with his brother.

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521 Words | 3 Pages

James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" analyzes a very complex relationship between the narrator and his brother, Sonny. Before directing to the attention of the relationship between these two brothers, we have to first understand the personality of each character. Initially, the narrator has a stable job as a hardworking math teacher and makes an effort to assimilate himself to his surroundings, but has never comprehended his brother, Sonny. Sonny is the complete opposite of the narrator. Sonny separates from his brother to become a Blues musician, though becomes addicted to drugs, such as heroin, in order to control his own feelings.

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564 Words | 3 Pages

After hearing that his younger brother, Sonny, has been put in jail due to drug use, he remembers his childhood, and how they both never did really get along. Both Sonny and the narrator feel a sense of “darkness outside”, and this “darkness” is what creates the miscommunication between the brothers (Baldwin 338). Sonny changed his normality due to not being noticed during his childhood, and the drastic change causes the older brother to feel uncomfortable seeing his brother, because Sonny told him that “he was dead as far as [he] was concerned” (351). Their struggles caused them to lose contact, and to slowly build that invisible barrier between their

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1373 Words | 6 Pages

The narrator keeps this in mind and tries to sway Sonny to a path he feels is right for him. Sonny wants to go into music however the narrator feels it would be

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For instance, Sonny has the ability to release his worries and sorrows while he is into his music. He is able to express himself through his music. Music also gives Sonny the will power to escape for his heroin addicted. Sonny and his brother never meet eye to eye because of the fact that Sonny had always wanted to end making a career out of performing jazz. In the article, “Troubled reading: 'Sonny's blues' and empathy,” Kowalska, explores Sonny’s Blue, in depth.

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Although both characters were different they found an understanding by trying to feel what each other were feeling. Also by coping with their tough childhood and feelings together without directly communicating. Sonny wanted so desperately to please his brother, but couldn’t find a way to avoid Jazz but still get that feeling he craved. Sonny was clearly disappointed and embarrassed by his choice of actions and despite what anyone said, he realized the choice he made was poor and it was time to follow his dream. At the end, the narrator realizes why Sonny turned to drugs in the first place.

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1184 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout the story he struggles to keep this promise. At the end of the story Sonny invites the narrator to come to a music club and hear him play, he accepts the invite. Upon arrival the narrator realizes he is in Sonny’s world. Hearing Sonny play only one set he is in awe and sends his brother a drink of scotch with milk. Sonny accepts it and gives a nod of approval to his brother across the room.

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933 Words | 4 Pages

A BOOK REVIEW OF GEORGE BROWNE’S “AN AMERICAN SOLDIER IN WORLD WAR I” In George Browne’s “An American Soldier in World War I,” the collection of letters written by Browne himself pertaining to the events happening during the First World War as he experienced it shows the struggles, challenges, and inward and outward battles that soldiers faced in the wake of the war. The letters revolve around Browne’s relationship with his fiancé Martha. In 1918, Browne was assigned to a tension-torn region in Saint-Mihiel where he became a part of a troop that was designated to operate as an offense and defense.

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692 Words | 3 Pages

There are multiple ways that this can be seen, through the narrator and Sonny, the artist. In the beginning, of the story it paints a picture of Sonny as “his face had been bright and open” but later states that “I couldn’t believe it: … …… all that light in his face gone out” showing that through development of character the hardships these brothers have gone through drove Sonny into doing something he regretted. Later it shows that Sonny has grown while in prison becoming reserved and quiet, the only place that the

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1212 Words | 5 Pages

A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry and “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin both describe the life of African American families in major cities following World War II. In both stories the two families are put at odds against one another because of the environment that surrounds them. In “Sonny’s Blues”, Sonny and his older brother, the narrator, are at odds because Sonny has fallen victim to the chaos of the Harlem streets. In A Raisin in the Sun, the Youngers’ are against one another because the family believes that they can escape the crowded space of their Southside apartment in their own ways. Through both stories the settings cause the characters to react in ways that fit their surroundings.

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Through this conversation, the narrator gained respect and insight on Sonny's life in the times that he was not there. Sonny was cryptic in his speaking at first but eventually made it very clear to his brother and even said, "the reason I wanted to leave Harlem so bad was to get away from drugs" (89). The narrator does not have much to say, but ultimately blames all of this on the "vivid, killing streets of [their] childhood" (73), that neither of them had truly escaped. He once thought they both had, him by becoming a teacher and Sonny by simply not living in Harlem for years, but in this moment, he realizes that not much has really changed - they still faced those streets, the only difference now was that they knew what they inherit. Sonny convinced his brother to come watch him play - the narrator knowing he could not possibly say no.

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1191 Words | 5 Pages

The narrator says that Sonny’s trouble became surreal when the narrator was put in the position of losing someone dear to

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827 Words | 4 Pages

Sonny’s escape in music is him moving away from the pain and suffering in his life and moving towards peace and order. In the beginning, Sonny’s brother was not too keen of the idea of Sonny playing jazz music because he thought he could do something more with his life, but he failed to realized that music was Sonny’s escape from life and all its chaos. However, at the end of the story Sonny asked his brother to join him at the jazz club and watch him play. At first his brother was hesitant to go with him, but gives in and goes to watch his brother. When Sonny started playing, his brother realizes how involved Sonny was with his music.

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1465 Words | 6 Pages

When the narrator accompanies Sonny to the nightclub to listen to him play his music; Sonny’s music portrays his wisdom as he plays about his brother’s frustrations with the trials and sufferings they both endured. Sonny’s artful playing of the blues opens the narrator’s heart to listen genuinely. If one listens to what lies on the inside that is the key to finding oneself. Joseph Flibbert states in the article “Sonny’s Blues” Overview, “In the music he hears, he sees his mother’s face, and that of his little girl … The powerful incantations of Sonny’s art reaches his soul, and for the first time, he listens to the dark voice within”.

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388 Words | 2 Pages

Sonny is the main character in the story who has been through a lot in life. He wanted to be a jazz musician. After going through all the trouble, Sonny was a great musician and he loved to play music more than anything. He used music to escape from all the bad things around him. Most black people grow up in the slums and it is extremely hard to make it out of there without getting stuck on something bad.

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