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Depression In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

817 Words4 Pages

Most of us have struggled in our lives with depression because of the pressure with academics and also expectations that our families and friends have from us. Some deal with this stress by doing something fun doing their free time or taking a break. The story of the man named Sonny shows us that inner hope which sparks whenever we face very stressful situations. This short story called, “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, shows us that any kind of problem can be channeled to make a positive output if we put enough effort in what we do for others and ourselves. At first, The narrator was not convinced in helping his brother Sonny to get over his drug abuse during prison because he was not able to see the problems that lied within his brother …show more content…

The “missing member” which aches inside them is like two sides of the same brain that can no longer talk to each …show more content…

The individual struggles that they took on alone because of their anger from the environment has forced them to live together as family in the dark streets and corners of Harlem. In page 15, the narrator says, “The coppery sun brought out the copper in his skin he was very faintly smiling, standing very still Then the singing stopped, the tambourine turned into a collection plat again. The furious man dropped in his coins and vanished, so did a couple of the women, and Sonny dropped some change in the plate.” This underlying truth in the plate shows the symbolism of salvation when throw all our struggles away by the coin which we generously give. Sonny and the others gave coins out to resemble all that hatred and suffering that they wanted to take away from themselves like a confession in Christianity. The anger they all felt was present all over Harlem and used the struggles of the lower classes of people to generate profits in their businesses. The constant tension between their warmth and the personal problems they have of each other also symbolizes the constant conflict that repeats in the story about light and darkness which haunts their every move. In page 1, the narrator describes that the kids were “filled with rage. All they really knew were two darknesses, the darkness of their lives, which was now closing in on

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In contrast, the narrator internalizes his feelings by repressing them as his father did after his brother passed away. As it was the relationship of their father and uncle, Sonny and his brother grew up in Harlem, a district replete with hopelessness and poverty. Yet each individual reacts to his environment in unusual ways. On the one hand, the narrator distances himself from his community in Harlem, including his brother Sonny. The narrator may love his brother but is in general judgmental of the direction of Sonny's life struggles and decisions.

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James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” is a short story depicting the relationship of two brothers, Sonny and an unnamed narrator. The story takes place in the project of Harlem, New York in the early 1950s. The narrator is a high school math teacher. His younger brother Sonny is a troubled musician struggling with his addiction to drugs. Before their mother dies, she asks the narrator promise to her he’ll look after his younger brother when she is gone.

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Who Is The Antagonist In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin?

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I chose to write my Response Essay on the story "Sonny's Blues" written by James Baldwin. In Sonny's Blues, the storyteller recounts the tale of his association with his sibling, Sonny. Sonny is a performer not able to get away from the ghetto. Disheartened by his sibling's suffering , the storyteller connects with him, yet discovers that Sonny's hurt powers his music. The narrator is a teacher in Harlem that has changed his life and got out of the ghetto where he grew up.

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A Critical Analysis Of Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

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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.

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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.

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