The Rich Brother Vs Younger Brother

There are many arguments that can come about within family relations. Whether it is between siblings, parents, grandparents, or even close friends that are considered family, there are disagreements. Some of the strongest arguments can come between siblings, especially brothers. In the short stories, “The Rich Brother” and “Sonny’s Blues”, the main focus is the older brother versus the younger brother. In each story, the older brother seems to have to deal with the consequences the younger brother has done. The arguments between the brothers causes more stress than there should be. Although many siblings are blood related they can still have completely different personalities. In the short story, “The Rich Brother”, the older, wealthier brother

Sonny was the younger of the two, seven years younger to be exact. The older brother was a school teacher in Harlem, where they grew up. The town was not the best, with all of the drugs easily accessible and near poverty. Sonny started becoming involved with drugs, and arrested for heroin possession. Eventually sent to rehab to recover from the narcotic. The older brother’s wife, Isabel, helped Sonny recover from his addiction as well. Sonny was interested in playing Jazz music on the piano. This eventually took over his life, as he was sent away to stay with Isabel and her parents to keep him out of doing drugs. They had a piano there on which he played every moment he could, constantly filling the house with music. Sonny started disappearing from school. Isabel’s mother found a note in the mail explaining that he has not been arriving to class. Sonny spent his time with musicians sharing the same passion as he did, which scared Isabel’s mother with possible drug use along with music. After being caught skipping school, Sonny fled to be with the NAVY for a period of time. When he arrived back home, his brother noticed Sonny had formed more into a man than before. Sonny and his brother started fighting more, in which Sonny acquired his own place. He started befriending more individuals who he always had over, growing the

This is shown in the beginning of, "The Rich Brother”, “At least I’m trying something new, Pete said. At least I’m breaking the pattern” (Wolff 259), in regards to Pete’s skydiving hobby remark towards Donald. Donald could not live the same life Pete could creating that rivalry between them, which caused Donald to move to the farm. In, “Sonny’s Blues”, Sonny states in a letter to his brother, “I’m glad Mama and Daddy are dead and can’t see what’s happened to their son” (Baldwin 276), meaning he is glad that his parents are not living through the pain of watching their youngest son go downhill. Sonny knows he is not up to his brother’s standards and shows that he wants to feel accepted. Sonny knew his brother was not as creative as his brother, making him want to be a musician, something his brother could never be. Sonny’s brother starts an argument about how it is a ridiculous idea to pursue a career as a pianist, thus, being a form of sibling