Character Analysis: Sonny's Blues

Alfredo Candelaria

Composition and Interpretation of Literature

Conversation with a character

Sonny’s Blues

Sonny from the short story by James Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues is by far my exact opposite in terms of attitude, lifestyle and overall view on life. To better understand sunny I will spend the day with him and threw conversation and interaction better understand him as a person. I first met with sunny after he played a song on a piano at a local night club in Harlem. My first impression of him was that he was a talented individual with a lot of musical potential. After sunny plays his song he comes to the bar and I give him a compliment on his playing. He smiles and haply thanks me. It was as if he had never received a compliment for his music. His voice sounded like that of someone with great confidence and relief. I ask him have you always played He responds no I

He spoke of his past drug addiction, his father, and runs with the law. My reaction was nothing short of surprising. How could someone with so much talent ever have had such a hard life? Sonny asks me if I had ever done drugs I responded no why would anyone do drugs?;He then puts his head down in shame and says his suffering is a consequence of his own actions, so he can gain control over his life and the drugs offered an elusive feeling of control. As the night goes on His brother approaches us and introduces himself I can tell that sonny and his brother are very close and get along very well. He compliments his brother and says how proud he is of him. I see that look again of life satisfaction from sonny. I ask his brother why did you give sonny a glass of milk and scotch? He responds and says the scotch and milk represents the dual nature of Sonny's personality scotch is a sinful drink while milk represents innocence. He says it represents his drug addicted past and his redemption from a hard