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Family Relationships In Sonny's Blues And I Stand Here Ironing

1305 Words6 Pages

Samuel Torres
Mrs. Spencer
VU Literature
9 February 2023
Family Relationships in Two Short Stories
Family is an important aspect of life; it is hard to succeed without it. Life will move on, and things will change for the better or worse, but one’s family will always be there. It is important to keep one’s family close to have a pillar to fall back on during hard times. There are various values that are prevalent in a family such as understanding and emotional support. Family relationships can be seen in the following stories: “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen. Although both stories send the same message about family relationships and how they affect life, the message is presented in different …show more content…

Emily and Sonny ultimately find their self-identity despite their hardships with the help of understanding from their families. Ever since she was a baby, Emily was already going through hardships. From spending days with the neighbor to being sent to a nursing home. Even though Emily “stayed skeleton thin, not wanting to eat, and night after night she had nightmares,” she still found a way to “[get] laughter out of the audience so dear they applaud and applaud and do not want to let her go” (Olsen 3). This foreshadowed Emily’s success as a comedic speaker at different events. The mother understood that there was a spark within Emily’s personality, but wondered where it came from. Due to her mother’s encouragement, Emily goes to the school's talent show. Turns out, she ended up winning first place and gained the recognition she never had. In the past, she had been classified as a ‘slow learner’ and now she was being asked to perform at various schools, colleges, and state-wide affairs. Without the sacrifice, encouragement, and understanding of her mother, Emily would not have been able to succeed, and she would have kept the lifestyle she had all her life. This success can also be seen in “Sonny’s Blues” through Sonny. Toward the end of the story, the narrator begins to understand Sonny better. Jazz is something that Sonny can’t live without. Throughout the whole story, the narrator can’t comprehend why …show more content…

(2016, March). A Psychoanalytic Interpretation of Mother-daughter Relationship in “I Stand Here Ironing.” Retrieved February 16, 2023, from Journal of Language Teaching and Research website: http://www.academypublication.com/issues2/jltr/vol07/02/12.pdf
Reilly, John M. "Sonny's Blues": James Baldwin's Image of Black Community." Negro American Literature Forum. Vol. 4. No. 2. St. Louis University, 1970.
Shah, M., Shakir, M., & Attia, S. (2020, August 22). Stereotyping of Gender Roles and Norms by Society: a Feminist Analysis of I Stand Here Ironing. Retrieved February 16, 2023, from Review of Education, Administration and Law (Real) website:

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