ipl-logo

Addiction And Suffering In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

820 Words4 Pages

"Sonny's Blues" is a story about two brothers, Sonny and the narrator, who reconnect after years of separation. The story begins with the narrator on his way to high school, where he sees a newspaper about his brother Sonny who is arrested for heroin use. Sonny is a talented jazz musician and an addict to heroin. After his arrest, the narrator does not write a letter to his brother as Sonny's friend had advised her. However, after the death of his daughter Grace, who died of suffering from Polio. The brother, Sonny, regrets his actions and explains that he went to prison because of heroin addiction. There is a flashback about the narrator and Sony after their mother dies; the narrator asks the mother-in-law to live with Sonny because he wants to join the army. The brother agreed to it. After all, he was told the in-laws had a piano he could use because he wanted to be a Jazz pianist. After the army, he takes heroine and ends up in prison. After leaving the prison, the narrator is invited to see Sony and his band playing music. Sony plays the song pouring out his emotions, and the narrator …show more content…

One of the prominent themes is addiction and suffering. Sonny is a talented jazz musician who has struggled with addiction for many years (Baldwin, p 225). His obsession has caused him immense pain and has profoundly impacted his relationships with others. The story depicts the devastating consequences of addiction for individuals and their loved ones. The story is set in Harlem, where people live difficult lives. Despite the narrator being a teacher, he still suffers because he cannot provide a better life for his children. Evidently, he lives in a rundown housing project. This means he is suffering due to poverty. Also, he suffers from grief as his daughter Grace is dead due to Polio. The brother Sonny is suffering because of his addiction to heroin which makes him be

Show More
Related
1115 Words | 5 Pages

“Sonny’s Blues” is not just about Sonny's decisions and struggles but also about how they affect the narrator. This story is as much about family and brotherhood and the relationship between these two men as it is about the character of

Read More
596 Words | 3 Pages

After the narrator goes with Sonny to the Jazz club, he meets Sonny’s friends and sees how they appreciate him and his music in a way he never did. He then begins to see the importance of music to his brother and makes a discovery about himself and Sonny. He listens to Sonny play and is delighted and starts to accept his brothers wanting to be a musician. The narrator realizes he was wrong to try and make Sonny change and he sees the power of Sonny’s blues as he is playing. The acceptance over Sonny’s dream not only strengthened their relationship, but also helped them gain a better understanding of each other.

Read More
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.

Read More
628 Words | 3 Pages

James Baldwins Sonny’s Blues is a story about a challenging, evolving relationship between two brothers in post-World War II Harlem of New York. The story is told from the point of view of the narrator as he goes through his thoughts on Sonny’s challenges. The narrator is like any other man. He has a job as an algebra teacher, a few kids, and importantly, a loving wife. Isabel is characterized as an extremely caring woman who loves her family, especially her brother-in-law, Sonny.

Read More
890 Words | 4 Pages

When they talk with each other at the narrator's apartment, Sonny explains to the narrator what heroin felt like for him, and for the first time, the narrator listens to him. Instead, he thinks about the anger he has at Sonny's drug use, mostly because he is angry at himself for not being there for him like his mother told him to. He felt disappointed in himself because he had failed his brother and mother, so he ended up deflecting his anger and hurting his brother. Wanting to make sense of this new side of Sonny, the narrator asked Sonny if he used drugs to feel in control, to which he responded that he uses them "to keep from shaking to pieces." This revelation creates a deeper connection between the two brothers because Sonny opens up about his hardships and how he had nothing to lean on, which made him feel angry about being left alone to deal with his addiction.

Read More
1417 Words | 6 Pages

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.

Read More
552 Words | 3 Pages

“Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin is a short story that has many significant parts to it. The narrator gives readers insight on how his relationship with his brother was like, how his brother was suffering from a heroin addiction. The narrator also gives the readers insight on his own problems. Due to Sonny’s heroin addiction, he suffered quite a lot as what was implied in the story. The narrator implies and describes so many themes in this short story.

Read More
789 Words | 4 Pages

"Am I My Brother's Keeper?" : Addiction and Renewal in Sonny's Blues In James Baldwin’s short story, Sonny’s Blues, we see themes of fraternal love and music as expression and liberation. The Brother, the narrator and Sonny, the main focus of the story, has their family struggling with accepting Sonny as an addict, grown and independent man, and a hopeful cause. We see these ideas repeat several times throughout the story.

Read More
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.

Read More
1441 Words | 6 Pages

James Baldwin is a renowned author best known for his work of essays, books and short stories, particularly those which dwell deeply into important social and psychological issues of discrimination, gender inequality, homophobia and so on. One of Mr. Baldwin 's most appreciated literary works is the short story 'Sonny 's Blues ' which focuses on two brothers who grew up together but take different paths in life. The story follows the narrator learning about his brother Sonny 's incarceration due to the use and selling of drugs until his brother gets parole. Throughout the story, we learn about the relationship between the pair and are able to witness the narrators ultimate understanding of Sonny and his ambition. As we continue to observe the impressive short story, we find the most recurring theme to be that of sorrow.

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
1191 Words | 5 Pages

The narrator took the role of being a big brother serious; however going to the military and keeping distant from Sonny affected his brother in many ways. Sandy Norton states that the narrator was in awe when it came to his brother, he didn’t know how to help Sonny, which is why he chose not to think about his brother’s addiction to heroin. “He is, in fact, A man full of fear, trying to use his relatively privileged social position to protect himself from social reality” (Norton 175-192). This quote explains how the narrator tries to avoid thinking about his little brother being hooked on

Read More
1396 Words | 6 Pages

(European Graduate School) In Sonny’s Blues Baldwin shows both his influence of from Black people and drug addiction to the loneliness that situations create and how isolation occurs during troubling times. Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin is a story of struggle and redemption through others. James Baldwin uses the narrator the story from a first person point of view which leads to a sense of disorientation in the reader and contributes to the stories theme of forgiveness.

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
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.

Read More

More about Addiction And Suffering In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

Related Topics

Open Document