Sonny's Blues Thesis

In the story, Sonny’s Blues, a man becomes shocked when he reads the newspaper and realizes that his younger brother, Sonny, had recently gone to jail for possessing heroin. At the end of the story, the question of who has the real problem can go both ways. Many people may think that Sonny had the real issue because he was the one suffering with the addiction but different factors most likely led to Sonny falling in the black hole of addiction. Although the narrator can’t control everything that Sonny does, he could’ve paid more attention to him.
Encouraging and supporting a loved one is key to a secure and blissful life. In the story, the narrator struggled with keeping up with Sonny. Although Sonny made his own decisions to fall down the …show more content…
The insecure just just keep talking with the hope something will stick” (Sinek). This quote means that if you let your insecurity overpower your mind, you won't be courageous enough to move forward. The narrator frequently overthought what he should say or not say so his questions weren't answered and he wasn't able to move forward. Towards the beginning of the story when the narrator is walking with Sonny's old friend, the author writes, “Then I wanted to ask him-too many things. He could not have answered, or if he had, I could not have borne the answers. I started walking” (Baldwin). In other words, the narrator wanted to ask Sonny's friend various amounts of questions about Sonny but he felt as if he wouldn't be prepared for the answers. “I was afraid that I might sound as though I were humoring him, but I hoped he wouldn't take it that way” (Baldwin). The narrator is essentially afraid of saying the wrong thing so he chooses to not say anything at all.
Sonny's Blues is a perfect example of how ignoring someone can lead to disastrous decisions. The narrator can't control everything that Sonny does because he has a lot on his plate but there's no excuse for not exhibiting faith and support towards someone that you care about. Family should always be there for family, no matter what. Reaching out to someone after your own loss when the person you're reaching out to has already hit rock bottom is not a selfless act.

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