Heroin Addiction In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

“Sonny’s Blues” is a short story set in Harlem, NY, written in 1957 by James Baldwin. The story follows Sonny, a heroin addict, and his relationship with his brother. On a deeper level, “Sonny’s Blues” shows that the most helpful thing a family member can do for a loved one with an addiction is to understand what they are going through. James Baldwin was born in Harlem, New York in 1924. Following World War II, heroin use rapidly increased nationwide. Much of the drug’s distribution center is in New York, specifically Harlem. In 1964, The Federal Bureau of Narcotics reported, “an estimated 48,525 “active addicts” resided in the country, half of whom were believed to live in New York City.” The apprehension for heroin abuse grew and within

With no living parents, the only family Sonny has is his older brother, the narrator of this short story. The brothers slowly reconnect after Sonny gets out of jail. Since Harlem is the heroin hot spot of the country, Sonny, now sober, has a hard time readjusting. While trying to find himself, Sonny decides playing jazz is, “the only thing [he] wants to do” (135). Worried about his brother’s well-being the narrator responds in a condescending tone telling Sonny that people can’t always do what they want to. For Sonny, Music is his escape from the drug world. Sonny looks for his older brother’s support and since his brother is viewing this in a negative light he feels discouraged. Eager to escape, Sonny joins the Navy. Upon returning, Sonny and his brother reunite. Sonny has grown up and is now a man, but his brother, “wasn’t willing to see it” (138). However, Sonny was a changed man. He surrounded himself with new people and became more invested in his music. Nonetheless, this wasn’t good enough for his brother. The narrator disliked the way Sonny carried himself, “loose and dreamlike all the time.” Additionally, he disapproved of Sonny’s new friends. He found that his music was solely, “an excuse for the life he led” (138). This shows how unsupportive the narrator is towards his brother. In an attempt to turn his life around Sonny works hard to change. He discovers that music helps him cope with his everyday struggles. It isn’t until the narrator watches his brother play music that he realizes that Sonny could, “help [them] to be free if [they] would listen, that he would never be free until [they] did” (148). This is the moment of actualization that the narrator finally understands his brothers’ pain and sees it in a different light. It isn’t until the narrator acknowledges what Sonny has been through and recognizes that music is Sonny’s escape.