With the many challenges in the way, adversity can be difficult to overcome in the process of leaving behind a darker past. In the story “Escape From Spiderhead” by George Saunders and “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin demonstrate how two characters develop by shedding behind their old lives. In “Sonny’s Blues”, Sonny faces problems with drug addictions and performing poorly in school while disagreeing with his brother on many occasions. The other story “Escape From Spiderhead”, Jeff, a pawn in many experiments who agrees without thinking to be a subject to harsh testing. Sonny and Jeff are examples on how the past does not define and individual, and through the challenges they overcome and how they deal with the situation demonstrates how