Essay on The Demons Inside

Submitted By 00252196
Words: 543
Pages: 3
Open Document
The short story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin is a moving depiction of a man trapped physically, mentally, and emotionally. Throughout the story the narrator’s brother Sonny is searching for a means of escaping that reality. Physically, Sonny is trying to flee the slums of Harlem. “Boys… came down into the streets for light and air and found themselves encircled by disaster. Some escaped the trap, most didn’t” (569). Baldwin illustrates here how negatively they view the city in which they grew up. In a heated conversation later in the story Sonny very bluntly states, “I don’t want to stay in Harlem no more, I really don’t” (576). Because of the living conditions, poverty, and the lack of opportunity Sonny has a strong desire to flee his hometown. In fact, Sonny ends up joining the Navy in an effort to get away and ironically ends up back in Harlem after his time in the service. Mentally, Sonny is trying to escape his demons and a feeling of hopelessness through the use of drugs, specifically heroin. Sonny reverts to taking drugs because of his depression and fear of the unknown. In a letter from jail, Sonny writes to his brother and mentions, “I guess I was afraid of something” (568). Without admitting to it, he is confessing that he did wrong and he is telling his brother that he is scared and alone.
Also, Sonny is suffering inside. The narrator asks him directly, “…there’s no way not to suffer-is there, Sonny?”
“I believe not” he said (582). In order to cope with these issues Sonny does what he only know how and turns to drugs for a distraction.
Emotionally, Sonny feels isolated with no family support. In a letter to his brother he writes from prison, Sonny opens with, “You don’t know how much I needed to hear from you” (568). This expresses the longing that he has for contact in any form and much needed support structure. Sonny turns to music as a means of escape from these issues as well, “Sonny was at that piano playing for his life,” and “that music, which was life or death to him” (578).
Show More

Related Documents: Essay on The Demons Inside

Demon Inside Essays

Name | Deadline | Location | Description | | | | | | Dates | Fees | | | | | | | | | | 2013 Summer Enrichment Programs in California Name | Deadline | | | California College of Arts Pre-College Program | 03/16/13 | Oakland, CA | Provides perfect platform to expand your knowledge, grow as an individual, develop strong portfolio pieces and get a taste of college life. More Info: http://www.cca.edu/academics/precollege | | Dates | | | | 6/24/13 | $55/$2800 Tuition…

Words 3088 - Pages 13

Hypocrites: Deception and Hypocrisy Essay

Jaklynn Rivero 1101 TH 2:00 Essay 3 Hypocrites I have a demon. My demon dwells inside of me. It abides in the deepest abysses of my soul and wonders the labyrinth of my mind. The beast has downright sheer control of me. It strips my heart and flesh to pieces but situates me on a towering pedestal above the world. I can feel it when it trails me with its morbid face, like the darkened concave of a cavern, as it scowls at me from within. It has extorted the actual life from my limbs; the beast…

Words 1217 - Pages 5

Woohoo: Debut Albums and Rhyme Scheme Essay

Key Question #23 Depression Is When depression is when you hate everyone around depression is when you don't want to make a sound depression is when all you want to do is cry depression is when you feel like you’re dying inside depression is when your thoughts wonder all the time depression is when you can't sleep even though you’re tired depression is when you don't want to go on depression is when you can't stop shaking outside depression is when you hide who you…

Words 1293 - Pages 6

The Hindu Goddess Kali: The Struggle Between Good And Evil

The Hindu Goddess Kali has a frightening reputation as a destroyer of demons. She is associated with death, destruction, battlefields and cremation grounds. Her name is said to mean "the black one" or "the dark one. Kali has the power to destroy the world, returning it to the dark void, a place of no time and no form. Kali also represents Shakti - feminine energy, creativity and fertility - and is an incarnation of Parvati, wife of the Hindu god Shiva. Her husband, the God Shiva, is the only one…

Words 650 - Pages 3

Comparing The Tell-Tale Heart And The Black Cat

In both The Tell-Tale Heart and The Black Cat have a lot of similarities but also some differences. Poe demonstrated that he felt a lot of sanity because of how he explained the stories. Poe felt sanity because of how he word the things he did, and that way he did not felt the same fault as he had at the beginning. Some similarities between the Tell-Tale Heart and The Black Cat where that both stories talked about a death and he also talked about the feelings of madness that he had and could not…

Words 359 - Pages 2

Gene And Finny Relationship

A Separate Peace, by John Knowles, uses World War 2 as the backdrop to the relationship that forms between two boys at a boarding school in New England. The two main characters, Finny and Gene are best friends, despite having vastly different personalities. The main conflict throughout the story is Gene's varying feelings of admiration for Finny and his moments of hatred for Finny for the reason that his skills that his skills so outclass Gene’s. Through the struggle of emotions in Gene, as well…

Words 841 - Pages 4

The Hellcat: A Narrative Analysis

Dodge Demon or as Dodge calls it, “the Quarter Mile King”. The Demon outperforms the Hellcat in every category. Its unbelievable performance, menacing appearance, and functionality all factor in to help leave the Hellcat and other modern performance cars in its dust. To begin, the Demons surpasses the Hellcat in virtually every performance category. Its all begins with the stat that car enthusiast everywhere were on the edge of their seat about. The Demon makes…

Words 1521 - Pages 7

The Demon Narrative

The Demon I walk into the pit while anticipating to board the roller coaster, “The Demon.” With the fear trembling inside of me not knowing if it were the fear or the hotdog I had for lunch getting ready to internally come up. Now, it was time to board the huge, monster roller coaster and there was no turning back let alone not wanting to embarrass myself infront of this kid I was sitting with I am now strapped into the roller coaster next to this total stranger being completely silent and awkward…

Words 372 - Pages 2

Demons and demonic possession Essay

December 4th 2013 Subject Major World Religions Demons and Demonic Possessions Various religions all over the world acknowledge the fact that spirits do exist and can be roaming around us at anytime; there are even people who state that they can actually see or communicate with these spirits known as mediums. The spirit is said to be what connects the body and the soul, at one time belonging to a physical body .They could be simply lost walking the earth or inflicting torture onto others. This…

Words 1400 - Pages 6

Good Looking Man Essay

warn them about the demons that change their form to be pleasing to their victims eyes that wander the face of the earth looking for souls to take back to Gehenna with them and use them as slave. The first two girls laugh at their mom ,mocking her by asking if she was smoking or drinking again then they left not thinking twice about what their mother said, but not Ayubu she believed every word her mother said then she ask her mom what if she get stuck and don’t know if it a demon or a true man…

Words 702 - Pages 3