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Sonny's Blues Rhetorical Devices

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In the short story, Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin expresses the theme of suffrage and survival within the African American community, and how they can overcome it through the bond of family. In the lengthy flashback, the narrator's mother uses ethos as she reveals an anecdote regarding the death of the father's uncle due to drunk white men behind the wheel. The mother utilizes logos when trying to depict the father's never-ending fury he felt towards white people in connection with the injustice of black crime, the mother quotes, "Till the day he died he weren't sure but that every white man he saw was the man that killed his brother." (Baldwin 42). Moreover, this is relevant because throughout the short story, it is mentioned of Sonny and …show more content…

The mother affirms grief after conversing about her husband with tears running down her face. In the following quote: “Your father always acted like he was the roughest, strongest man on earth. And everybody took him to be like that. But if he hadn’t had me there to see his tears!” (Baldwin 42), further presents the emotional commitment she dealt with for years. She knew that a family's love for one another is the most resilient strength. Therefore, her husband was able to live through his brother's death and in return, she was his shepherd "I helped your father get safely through this world" (Baldwin 42). Consequently, she can see the similarities between her late husband and her youngest child, how they both carry the weight of their blues onto their shoulders unlike our narrator, who had instead internalized it. She must open the eyes of her eldest son to this tragic narrative of the world, he needs to look out for his fellow black brother, “I guess I didn’t want to believe this. I guess she [the mother] saw this in my face” (Baldwin 42) he quotes. Due to the tragic reality of African Americans, which our narrator's mother uses in the anecdote, she emphasizes that they are always targeted and are more likely to wound up finding their better realities in harmful substances, a reality that our narrator can't accept until later on in life, which will further help him

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596 Words | 3 Pages

The short story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin is about a young man whom is struggling in life. The narrator, who is unnamed throughout the story, and Sonny’s older brother tells the readers in depth about his brothers battle. In the late 1900s during poverty and systematic oppression, many African Americans were subjected to one specific area in modern day known as Harlem. Not only is story about discrimination African Americans faced, it is about two brothers gaining a better understanding on each others lives. Baldwin demonstrates that acceptance over a family member’s decisions can strengthen the bond between two estranged brothers.

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868 Words | 4 Pages

Signs of Modernity in “Sonny’s Blues” The first half of the twentieth century was a time of tremendous change and upheaval, marked by industrialization, wars, migration, and urbanization. James Baldwin's short story, "Sonny Blues," offers a powerful response to the experience of modernity in this period, exploring the impact of these changes on Black communities in America. Through the story's vivid characters and poignant themes, Baldwin creates a vivid portrait of a society struggling to come to terms with the changes brought about by modernity.

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628 Words | 3 Pages

James Baldwins Sonny’s Blues is a story about a challenging, evolving relationship between two brothers in post-World War II Harlem of New York. The story is told from the point of view of the narrator as he goes through his thoughts on Sonny’s challenges. The narrator is like any other man. He has a job as an algebra teacher, a few kids, and importantly, a loving wife. Isabel is characterized as an extremely caring woman who loves her family, especially her brother-in-law, Sonny.

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524 Words | 3 Pages

James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" is a powerful short story that delves into themes of identity, oppression, and the search for liberation. Set in Harlem, New York, during the mid-20th century, the story explores the lives of two African American brothers, Sonny and the unnamed narrator; as they navigate the complexities of their racial and cultural identities in a postcolonial context, focusing on the characters' struggles with identity formation and the oppressive structures that shape their lives. "Sonny's Blues" examines the process of identity formation in the face of cultural displacement and the erasure of African heritage. The unnamed narrator, reflecting on his childhood in Harlem, remarks, "I didn't want to believe that I'd ever see

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1417 Words | 6 Pages

James Baldwin, Sonny's Blues Lesson: Read 1. How does Baldwin's real-life experience connect to his short story, "Sonny's Blues"? Read Baldwin's biography for more background on his life. - James Baldwin’s real-life experience connects to his short story by demonstrating that in the story his father had passed away when he was a young age. In real life, he didn’t even know his father.

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1184 Words | 5 Pages

In that moment the narrator finally understands Sonny’s love for music. Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” displays the theme of brotherly love to illustrate, that love can keep a family together no matter how many fights or issues there may be. Baldwin demonstrates the theme of brotherly love all through this story. The first example we see of brotherly love is when the two brothers are reunited after not seeing each other for months.

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1441 Words | 6 Pages

From the very beginning of the tale, the sorrow is palpable through the unnamed narrator 's discovery of Sonny 's incarceration, and moreover through the atmosphere created by Mr. Baldwin. The most prominent message that can be deciphered and recognized in Sonny 's Blues is that the sadness and sorrow that one experiences in their life can bring about many obstacles but it can be countered and used for something greater by a search for understanding and acceptance. James Baldwin establishes this implication through the use of his characters; the narrator, Sonny, and the singer seen on the street. All these characters experience sorrow and sadness in their

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838 Words | 4 Pages

Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin was a short story about the struggles of living in a tough, rundown neighborhood and looking to drugs as a way out. Baldwin’s intent on writing this piece focuses on pain and suffering. The author stresses that not everybody is born in the best circumstances. Sonny was one of those people who grew up in a rickety town where people often did not make it out successful.

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692 Words | 3 Pages

There are many ways that symbolism is used to show things that are unique to each story that James Baldwin writes including “Sonny’s Blues”. The main symbolism surround music. One thing that it symbolizes is hope. Music gives Sonny hope that he can travel away from Harlem and those who doubt what he can do using blues music and his piano skills. This is not just used as symbolism in the story, but in what was really happening during this time.

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759 Words | 4 Pages

He shines a light on how society has forced us to think that we must have unconditional love for our families and if you are the eldest sibling in a family, you are expected to be more responsible and be a role model. Baldwin shows us that this isn’t always how it is. This is something that the readers can relate to and through the story and characters we can learn something about ourselves. In the same way, Baldwin uses class to show us that even though you are middle class, you can still suffer, and even though you are lower class, you can still succeed. Without the prospects of creed and class, the story would not have the same relatable factors and

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909 Words | 4 Pages

One will constantly face temporary conflict throughout life, but ultimately they can overcome through a will to on and pursue what makes oneself happy. Baldwin was able to create a picture in the reader's mind due to his personal relation to his characters, he was able to understand the harsh times for an African-American male. It also reflects on the care that siblings have for one another and how even though they have good intentions, they can't always help their loved one follow a positive

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1138 Words | 5 Pages

“Sonny’s Blues,” written by James Baldwin discusses conflicts between two brothers in hopes of mending their relationship. “Sonny’s Blues” begins with the unnamed narrator reading a piece of paper with information regarding the trouble his brother Sonny has gotten himself into. The narrator has not been communicating with his brother during this period, but after the death of his two-year-old daughter Grace, he writes Sonny a letter. Once Sonny has been released, he goes back to Harlem to live with the narrator, and the narrator forces him into staying with his fiancé Isabel and her family because he believes Sonny deserves the opportunity to receive an education. Sonny makes it known to the narrator that he does not want to go back to school

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1396 Words | 6 Pages

(European Graduate School) In Sonny’s Blues Baldwin shows both his influence of from Black people and drug addiction to the loneliness that situations create and how isolation occurs during troubling times. Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin is a story of struggle and redemption through others. James Baldwin uses the narrator the story from a first person point of view which leads to a sense of disorientation in the reader and contributes to the stories theme of forgiveness.

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1465 Words | 6 Pages

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 rescue from his guilt of

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1556 Words | 7 Pages

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.

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