The Struggle For Identity In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

In the story, “Sonny’s Blues” the author James Baldwin wanted his audience to get an idea of what it’s like as an african american male, living in a poor neighborhood, and a dysfunctional family. In this short story, there are two brothers who struggle to support a healthy relationship despite their wrongdoings. Sonny battles with making the right decisions and finding his true identity as he’s faced with so many obstacles. The narrator is the oldest, where he kept a promise from his mother to look after Sonny, and try to help him become a better man, unlike his father. Baldwin captures the audience by detailing everyday trials that the world faces and how we can overcome them. In this story, Sonny finds his peace within music. Music for Sonny

“Since early times, music has played an essential part in human life. It was appreciated by ancient, primitive and advanced civilizations that realized its power. Music is universal as language, but it ‘‘speaks’’ louder than words. Since sounds never lie, music has a truthful authority (Yehuda).” The story begins as the narrator reads about Sonny and his arrest in the newspaper. He immediately becomes upset as he recall back on their childhood and reminisce on all old memories of how well they got a long. As the narrator being a teacher, he couldn’t help but to look at his class and in hopes of them not falling victim to the inequality. He says in the story, “These boys, now, were living growing up with a rush and their heads bumped abruptly against the low ceiling of their actual

By Sonny and his brother growing up in a poor neighborhood and being black they wasn’t offered many opportunities as the next person. Sonny was trapped not only physically but mentally as well, searching for a sense of freedom within himself. When Sonny was able to perform, it gave him all the encouragement he needed into feeling free. “Using music to create healing environments may assist in promoting mental and physical health and well-being. Just as music is a universal language that promotes understanding among cultural and ethnic groups, it may be that music is a universal language within the body to promote health and wellbeing (Gardner, 1990).” Baldwin wants the readers to get an understanding as how music was able to save Sonny’s life. It is not unlikely you’ll notice someone who is struggling to resort to a specific activity, sport, or hobby. In Sonny Blue’s, the author reveals that the power of music was what help Sonny get out of his dark stages in his