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Sonny's Blues Research Paper

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How Can Someone’s Environment Influence Their Life Decisions Later On? Drug addiction is a complicated problem that may be attributed to a variety of circumstances. One of the most crucial factors for people battling with drug addiction is their upbringing, which may play a significant influence when determining whether or not they develop an addiction later in life. In James Baldwin's short story Sonny's Blues, the main character's brother, Sonny, suffers from a heroin addiction. Sonny’s experiences with addiction are deeply influenced by the economic and social factors that shaped his upbringing. One of the main elements that led to Sonny's addiction was racial inequity. The plot concentrates on African Americans' experiences in Harlem, …show more content…

Financial insecurity limited Sonny’s access to basic necessities such as medical care, educational opportunities, and a secure place to live, leaving him to feel alone and desperate. People who are trying to escape these conditions may turn to drugs as a temporary distraction or coping technique. In an article explaining the results of a drug and alcohol dependence study, it was noted that, "across 17 states in 2002–2014, opioid overdoses were concentrated in more economically disadvantaged zip codes, indicated by higher rates of poverty and unemployment as well as lower education and median household income,” (Grinspoon). Those who are in lower income areas, are more prone to falling into a life of addiction because they are disadvantaged in almost every aspect of society. Lack of resources, along with the appeal of quick relief from life's problems, accentuated Sonny’s desire to do drugs, eventually continuing the pattern of poverty and drug use in lower income communities. The author of the article continued to explain the r “As a society, and as clinicians, we have to go far beyond simply viewing the drugs as the problem. In order to give everyone suffering from addiction the best chance possible to enter and stay in recovery, we urgently need to start paying attention to the broader issues that allow addiction to fester, such as housing, employment, poverty, systemic racism, and the effects of incarceration,” (Grinspoon). The author of the article, believes that the problem of addiction in low income neighborhoods is a direct effect of the lower quality systems that are set up for the people living in those neighborhoods. After Sonny’s addiction was caused by the lack of resources in his lower income community, he was unable to get the adequate resources to overcome his cycle of

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The story takes place during the 1950's in a time of segregation when the black community was facing oppression. The context of the story plays an important role because it is significant to each of the character's suffering. Although it is only lightly discussed between the characters, racism builds limitations for the people living in Harlem as well as Sonny and the narrator. The narrator describes it as much like an imprisonment.

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