Alicia Mathew Mrs. Hall English 2 Honors March 15, 2023 Caring About Your Family Can Hurt You “Sonny’s Blues” takes place in the town of Harlem where the narrator discovers that his brother, Sonny, was arrested for being involved with drugs. The narrator reminisces over his childhood with Sonny, and he reconciles their relationship after Sonny is released from jail when the narrator listens to Sonny playing at a local jazz club. In the short story “Sonny’s Blues,” James Baldwin emphasizes how family relationships can contribute to internal conflicts due to how much one cares about their family. Throughout the short story, the author utilizes syntax within Sonny’s letter and the narrator’s lamentation over Sonny’s well-being, as well as the …show more content…
After the narrator invites Sonny into his home, the narrator paces around and considers searching Sonny’s room, but Sonny sits down for a beer and talks about his perspective on himself and the rest of the world. While he’s talking, the narrator notices Sonny “pressing the beer can between his hands” and, “afraid that [Sonny] would cut himself,” the narrator panics (Baldwin 144). The narrator, who was unable to protect Sonny from addiction, is kicking into high gear over something as insignificant as a beer can. This showcases how the author is now trying to do everything he can to keep Sonny safe, which means that he feels that his current efforts are inadequate. This creates an internal conflict between his desire to help Sonny recover from addiction and his inability to provide adequate help. Additionally, the beer can is a powerful symbol during this moment since it seems to represent Sonny’s addiction. Sonny is holding something that could potentially harm him, and he does not seem to exercise caution as he squeezes the can. Similarly, he did not exercise caution when he dealt with drugs. Along the same lines, his brother was concerned but did not interfere with Sonny’s drug use, and his brother is not interfering with Sonny crushing the bottle. This is because, although the narrator is clearly worried about Sonny’s safety, he is conflicted as to whether or not he should step in. This creates unhealthy conflicting emotions which are a result of how much the familial bond between both boys is making the narrator care about Sonny. This, again, is emphasized by the symbolism of the beer can, which represents Sonny’s addiction. Along the same vein, Sonny is a