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The Alienation Of Society In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

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In James Baldwin’s short story, Sonny’s Blues, the values of a society are highlighted by using characters who are alienated from that society. Sonny, after getting out of prison, stays with his brother, the narrator, in Harlem during the rise of jazz and struggles due to class and race. Sonny never followed all the rules, unlike his brother; he doesn't have a job, he doesn't have a family, he uses drugs, and he has to rely on his brother. Because of this Sonny is alienated by society. The society's views are presented through the narrator's personal views and character development as he establishes an understatement of his brother, Sonny, and how Sonny’s race and class led his good moral values to juxtapose against his poor life choices. The
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Everyone has expectations of people; it is human nature. These expectations can be beneficial and push us to accomplish amazing things, like being kind to other people. Some expectations, however, can make people feel inferior and unimportant, leading to consequential decisions throughout life. These expectations stem from homes and communities, like the neighborhood Sonny and his brother grew up in in James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”. Living in Harlem forced Sonny and his brother to grow up much faster than most people do and exposed them to many harsh realities, making it the true antagonist of the story.

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“Sonny’s Blues” is not just about Sonny's decisions and struggles but also about how they affect the narrator. This story is as much about family and brotherhood and the relationship between these two men as it is about the character of

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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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James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" analyzes a very complex relationship between the narrator and his brother, Sonny. Before directing to the attention of the relationship between these two brothers, we have to first understand the personality of each character. Initially, the narrator has a stable job as a hardworking math teacher and makes an effort to assimilate himself to his surroundings, but has never comprehended his brother, Sonny. Sonny is the complete opposite of the narrator. Sonny separates from his brother to become a Blues musician, though becomes addicted to drugs, such as heroin, in order to control his own feelings.

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James Baldwin is a well recognized American novelist and social critic. He creates a unique approach in his writing bringing the readers into the story both in terms of visuals and emotions. James Baldwin's short story , Sonny's Blues demonstrates his unique style approach and deals with the theme of exposing the reader to the profound challenges of poverty and racism. Baldwin enables the reader to trade shoes with the narrator and Sonny; experiencing their hard and brutal upbringing in Harlem, New York.

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“Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin is a short story that has many significant parts to it. The narrator gives readers insight on how his relationship with his brother was like, how his brother was suffering from a heroin addiction. The narrator also gives the readers insight on his own problems. Due to Sonny’s heroin addiction, he suffered quite a lot as what was implied in the story. The narrator implies and describes so many themes in this short story.

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James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” is a short story depicting the relationship of two brothers, Sonny and an unnamed narrator. The story takes place in the project of Harlem, New York in the early 1950s. The narrator is a high school math teacher. His younger brother Sonny is a troubled musician struggling with his addiction to drugs. Before their mother dies, she asks the narrator promise to her he’ll look after his younger brother when she is gone.

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James Baldwin is a renowned author best known for his work of essays, books and short stories, particularly those which dwell deeply into important social and psychological issues of discrimination, gender inequality, homophobia and so on. One of Mr. Baldwin 's most appreciated literary works is the short story 'Sonny 's Blues ' which focuses on two brothers who grew up together but take different paths in life. The story follows the narrator learning about his brother Sonny 's incarceration due to the use and selling of drugs until his brother gets parole. Throughout the story, we learn about the relationship between the pair and are able to witness the narrators ultimate understanding of Sonny and his ambition. As we continue to observe the impressive short story, we find the most recurring theme to be that of sorrow.

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Throughout the story of “Sonny’s Blues”, James Baldwin develops a theme that can still be related with today. The misunderstanding and lack of knowledge that the narrator experiences, about his brother, is something that many today feel, as their own family members are being prosecuted and they do not comprehend why. Within the story, there are numerous subtle ideas that are used to progress the story and theme along to the ending that is given. James Baldwin advances the theme of his story, that misfortune and anguish can be renovated into a unique art form, using characterizations, settings, and symbolisms. One of the main literary devices that is used to express the theme is characterization.

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His mother revealed to him the story about his uncle killed by young men of a different race in a traffic accident, hence wanted him to watch his brother carefully. His mother said, “... don’t let him fall, no matter what it looks like is happening to him and no matter how evil you get with him.” (Baldwin 11) Therefore, the narrator, an ordinary husband, a young father and a mathematics schoolteacher, had to bear the suffering of the race issue and, most urgently, the extra responsibility beyond that of his own family and his job. He struggled to convince Sonny desperately, as he begged, “But if you don’t finish school now, you’re going to be sorry later that you didn’t…

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Author James Baldwin’s short story, Sonny’s Blues, takes place between 1924 - 1987 Harlem, New York, and society’s assumptions towards the black community and moral values during this time period were very skewed. Baldwin demonstrates this through the main characters, Sonny and the unnamed narrator, and their alienation from society because of their class and their alienation from themselves because of creed. These things have formed a metaphorical prison around them. In the 1900s Harlem, blacks were often in the middle or lower class, and Sonny and the narrator were no exception.

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In James Baldwin's short story, Sonny’s Blues, the reader should understand and visualize the historical context in order to understand the world being presented. The reader has to comprehend the harsh life of a male African-American who struggles with his dreams and drug addiction sometime around early 1957. I will discuss Baldwin's writing style, the life/value of an african american's life during this time, and the relationship between Sonny and his brother. Baldwin’s short story illustrates the hardships a person faces while searching for themselves in a world full of people or obstacles that stand in their way. Some of these obstacles are self inflicted, present from the beginning of their existence or appear as though they are random.

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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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In fiction, the narrator controls how the audience connects to and perceives the various characters in a story. A good author can manipulate the narration to connect the audience to certain characters and deepen the reader’s understanding of their conflicts. In “Previous Condition” and “Sonny’s Blues,” James Baldwin illustrates themes of loneliness and isolation in the pursuit of finding a space that feels like home. Although this theme is clear in both stories, Baldwin is able to portray it very differently in each story through the relationship he allows the reader to the characters struggling with these feelings. While “Previous Condition” provides a more intimate relationship to the narrator, “Sonny’s Blues” is able to deliver an additional level of understanding by telling the story through Sonny’s brother, therefore disconnecting the reader in a way that forces him or her to share the characters’ feelings of isolation and confusion.

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