Sonny's Blue Analysis

Words: 806
Pages: 4
Open Document
The short story Sonny’s Blues was written by James Baldwin in 1957. Sonny’s Blue is one of the famous writing of James Baldwin and the story takes place in Harlem, New York. The story is telling the life experience of two brothers: Sonny and Sonny’s elder brother and the story is told in first person narration by Sonny’s elder brother, whose name is never mentioned. The narrator tells the story of how they grew up and the conflict they face and how they overcome in their life. The story has multiple conflicts: heroin addict, unemployment, race-related problems and so many others but the central conflict is that narrators promise to his mother to take care of his brother Sonny.
The story begins as narrator, an algebra teacher reads the newspaper …show more content…
Her last conversation with the narrator become a crucial part of his internal conflict with Sonny. “You got to hold on to your brother, she said, and don’t let him fall, no matter what it looks like happening to him and no matter how evil you get with him.” In this sentence, we can see his mother already warns him it will be hard. The narrator did not really realize his promise until his daughter Grace died of polio. “I was sitting in the living room in the dark, by myself, and I suddenly thought of Sonny. My trouble made his real.” When the narrator feels loneliness for the first time, he started thinking about Sonny and his promise to his mother. People do not realize things unless they have gone through the same situations in their life. “I don’t give a damn what other people do, I don’t even care how they suffer. I just care how you suffer.” This shows narrators love and cares about him other than anything but the narrator is not supportive as he promised to his mother. If the narrator was supportive and encouraging when Sonny shows his affection to become a jazz musician then most probably we will not see Sonny goes through the dark side of his life. Up to this point, the narrator was struggling and conflicting about his decision for not fulfilling his promise to his mother. “I was in Sonny’s world. Or, rather: his kingdom. Here, it was not even a question that his veins bore royal blood.” When the narrator …show more content…
None of these problems are resolved completely but they are on the track to resolving themselves. The relationship between Sonny and his brother had its up and downs but by the end of the story they started understanding and appreciating each other more. Sonny is happy because he is getting full support from his brother and the narrator is feeling pride because he was able to full fill his promise to his
Show More

Related Documents: Sonny's Blue Analysis

Sonny's Blues Poem Analysis

4. Baldwin—The Greek playwrite Aeschylus wrote that “wisdom comes alone through suffering.” In what ways is this theme revealed in “Sonny’s Blues”? How is the title of the story significant on both literal and figurative levels?’ In “Sonny’s Blues,” by James Baldwin, The piano represents Sonny’s soul. It is everything that he is, if sonny was rich he would play the piano, If he was poor he would play the piano because that is what he was born to do. The cup of trembling at the end represent…

Words 201 - Pages 1

'A Literary Analysis Of Sonny's Blues'

In the story of Sonny’s Blues, The narrator is intrigued by a student’s whistling. “A boy was whistling a tune it wasn’t very complicated and even simple. It was like the tune was pouring out of him as though he were a bird, and it sounded very cool.This tune was moving through all that harsh, bright air, only just holding its own through all those other sounds" (176). In this quote the reader is supposed to remember at that moment that there will be sounds over top of one another, voice imposed…

Words 306 - Pages 2

Sonny's Blues Literary Analysis

Have you ever tried to love a heroin addict? It can be a long, winding and exhausting road. In the short story Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin portrays the internal struggles of a heroin addict, Sonny, and the rollercoaster relationship between him and his brother. There are many examples throughout the story that displays the narrator attempting to be Sonny’s rock. There are times where the relationship drifts further away than other times but in the end the love and support for each other shines through…

Words 834 - Pages 4

An Analysis Of Sonny's Sunny Blues

Shelby Manning Eng 1302.3F3 Mrs. Menzie T – Th April 13, 2015 William Faulkner / Sunny Blues ZZ Packer / Brownies Laurel reports that by the second day at the camp, all the young ladies in her Brownie troop had chosen they were going to "kick the asses" of each young lady in Brownie Troop 909, who were all white young ladies. The dark young ladies took an aversion to the white young ladies when they first saw them. Arnetta, the young ladies' instigator, said they noticed they looked…

Words 990 - Pages 4

Sonny's Blues Character Analysis

different rule he has about creative writing. In “Sonny’s Blues” Baldwin constantly is giving the reader so much new information . The narrator is able to portray all the bad things that have happened to both him and his brother, but also that every character that comes into contact with the narrator asks for something. Many of the characters who ask for something develop the narrator and make him see things in a different light. The first instance is Sonny’s friend. At the start the narrator does not…

Words 318 - Pages 2

Professor Polnac Analysis of "Sonny's Blues" Essay

C. Woods 1 Caitlyn Woods Professor Polnac English 1302 27 June 2013 Analysis of “Sonny’s Blues” James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" is a tale of brotherhood through severe struggles in Harlem. One day the narrator reads a story in the newspaper about a man who was arrested and imprisoned the night before for possession and selling of heroin. The man the media was speaking of is the narrator's brother. The narrator is in disbelief and confusion as to how his brother went from being the bright and…

Words 1060 - Pages 5

Analysis Of Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

“Sonny's Blues" is a story written by James Baldwin that addresses some of life’s most prevalent obstacles. The narrator tells the story of his brother, a man named Sonny who returns to Harlem following his release from prison. Baldwin portrays Sonny’s hardships growing up surrounded by racism, societal pressures and drug abuse. As an adolescent Sonny lost his parents and turned to music as an emotional outlet. His journey displays how in the process of growth, struggle is inevitable because the…

Words 248 - Pages 1

Sonny's Blues Character Analysis

Gracie Mae Still in Alice walker’s “1955” is the main character is the opposite of James Baldwin’s main character Sonny in “ Sonny’s Blues . Walker illustrates the strength of African American Women and how they face their struggles and abuse. Baldwin creates an African American man who struggles relentlessly with his inner and his communal battles. Sonny seems weak in comparison to Gracie Mae who is a black woman facing more struggles than any black man or white woman. Walker is recognized as a…

Words 579 - Pages 3

Sonny's Blues Analysis Essay

life changing and will define what that person is and what they might become. It gives others a chance to observe, calculate and conclude what really is important to the individual. This is the narrator’s mindset in James Baldwin’s classic story “Sonny’s Blues”. He experiences the suffrage first hand as he, himself is a product of a community that is consumed by the harsh standards that is set for him, his brother, and others growing up in Harlem New, York during the early 1950s. First and foremost…

Words 1092 - Pages 5

Sonny's Blues Rhetorical Analysis

James Baldwin in Sonny’s Blues often uses flashbacks to advance the story, furnish background information, and to define the personalities of particular characters and what drives them throughout the story. James Baldwin envelopes a story about two brothers with flashbacks. Through the use of flashbacks, the reader is invited to learn more about the main characters, Sonny and his brother, the narrator. As a result of this technique, Sonny grows from dope fiend to a brother with problems and…

Words 302 - Pages 2