Sonny Blues Baldwins short fiction, was published in 1957 and takes place during the Harlem Renaissance. As the narrator and Sonny ride in a cab toward Harlem "the vivid, killing streets of our childhood" the streets "darken with dark people." Here's what he said: Dear brother, You don't know how much I needed to hear from you. Baldwin is also known for exploring cultural and societal issues owing from his experiences as an African American in America during the period of widespread racism and segregation. James Baldwins Sonnys Blues makes great use of different literary devices throughout the story. Through this, the narrator was able to know that music acted as a unifying factor in the African American society as many people like Sonny had their own families out there who loved them. Available Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. I can't believe I'm giving four for a book I had to read for school. It considers the possibility of understanding Baldwin's fictional text as a statement on reading social as well as subjective 'problems' as universal across contexts. Using conclusions gleaned from a detailed reading of the primary text, as . Through the narrators flashback, we are able to find out that the narrator served in the army before becoming an algebra teacher, which according to him was an ideal career path and life decision compared to music. "Analysis of "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin." #23. Anything helps! Through the story, the author creates relevance and connection of different aspects ranging from characters, setting, and literary devices to bring forth the theme of music as depicted through Sonnys Blues.. "What do you mean, that's all? At the end, the narrator realizes why Sonny turned to drugs in the first place. It brings to the attention of the reader that no matter what one goes through, there is always hope. Sonnys Blues incorporates racial frustration, self-expression, avoidance, lightness/darkness and symbolic nature of music. "I ain't telling you all this," she said, "to make you scared or bitter or to make you hate nobody. #10. The arguments depict the fact that the older siblings misunderstood their younger siblings and tried to dictate and change who they actually are, more so concerning their careers. Most black people grow up in the slums and it is extremely hard to make it out of there without getting stuck on something bad. For a long time, the narrator despised Sonny, particularly for his life decisions, such as taking music as a career, which he thought was useless. Analysis of "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin. Purchasing Read 345 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Ernst Klett Sprachen, 2009. Baldwin is one of the most brutally honest writers I have ever encountered - he is also extremely prophetic in his ability to see past the failure of policies that have worsened the plight of African Americans. In "Sonny's Blues" theme, form, and image blend into perfect harmony just like a bebop jazz rift. "It makes you feel-in control. It begins with Sonny's drug arrest. https://www.thoughtco.com/analysis-sonnys-blues-by-james-baldwin-2990467 (accessed March 4, 2023). And even then, on the rare occasions when something opens within, and the music enters, what we mainly hear, or hear corroborated, are personal, private, vanishing evocations. Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER! Isn't it better, then, just to-take it?". I was told in high school English, as well as university, that we were not to use the word "it." And though the narrator in some ways has escaped the "darkness" of his childhood by getting a respectable job and starting a family, he realizes that his children are facing all the same challenges he faced. The text is similar to various good reads as they always give hope to the hopeless. Go to BN.com to get your copy of these helpful resources. 1 Student's Name Professor's Name Course Title Date James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues James Baldwin was a novelist, essay writer, a Playwright. It is also a fictional account of some of the life experiences of the author, himself an American Negro. You may cancel your subscription on your Subscription and Billing page or contact Customer Support at custserv@bn.com. One boy was whistling a tune, at once very complicated and very simple, it seemed to be pouring out of him as though he were a bird, and it sounded very cool and moving through all that harsh, bright air, only just holding its own through all those other sounds. I didn't want to believe that I'd ever see my brother going down, coming to nothing, all that light in his face gone out, in the condition I'd already seen so many others. Need an original essay on Close Reading Essay Sample: Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin? Plot of "Sonny's Blues" The story opens with the first-person narrator reading in the newspaper that his younger brother from whom he is estranged has been arrested for selling and using heroin. #15. Print. ", Yet when the musicians start to play, "the lights on the bandstand, on the quartet, turned to a kind of indigo. Through this short story Baldwin manages to show pain ,and hardships and the journey that is needed to transcend from. The most important ideas in the story are family, home, suffering, and drugs. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. From the very beginning of the tale, the sorrow is palpable through the unnamed narrator 's discovery of Sonny 's incarceration, and moreover through the atmosphere created by Mr. Baldwin. Hearing Sonny play only one set he is in awe and sends his brother a drink of scotch with milk. That is the same name the narrator read on the newspaper. This helps to understand that music was bred in Sonny from a tender age. to start your free trial of SparkNotes Plus. 99. . This also helps to show that as the main character of the story representing the life of an African American young man, Sonnys life is filled with the desire to make it in music, against societys backdrop which was highly associated with violence, drugs, and even insecurity. "Sonny's Blues" is the best reading because Baldwin connects the audience with all of the characters while also focusing on human suffering, which is. By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy. Sonny's Blues makes use of symbolism such as jazz and blues music, imagery such as ice and allegory. When Sonny gets out of jail, the narrator is there for him. You mean he'll never kick the habit. Thus, I have never experienced such. After accompanying Sonny to the performance, the narrator realizes how people adore him and for the first time, he was able to see Sonny being appreciated by many people for what he was doing. ", "Tell me," I said at last, "why does he want to die? In the end, though, what does Sonny teach the narrator? Baldwin cleverly attacks the constructs of racism in American society by using himself and his life experiences as a . Your Daddy never did really get right again. The silence of the next few days must have been louder than the sound of all the music ever played since time began. JUNE 25, 2020 The prophetic power of James Baldwin's explorations of race and America's unfulfilled promise has never been more illuminating or more necessary. The story employs flashback to recall on the narrators past life with the narrators parents and how music served in the family through their father. Enhance your understanding of Sonny's Blues by learning more about James Baldwin as well as about historical contextfor this short story. As we continue to observe the impressive short story, we find the most recurring theme to be that of sorrow. The book is very good in the sense of being relatable in same way to most people that have problems and real life. Members will be prompted to log in or create an account to redeem their group membership. In the remembrance, the speaker also recollects how Sonny used to fight with his father since they were similar in many ways, particularly through music, He and Sonny hadnt ever got too well, and this was partly because Sonny was the apple of his fathers eye (Baldwin 26). And even then, on the rare occasions when something opens within, and the music enters, what we mainly hear, or hear corroborated, are personal, private, vanishing evocations. #3. The story of Sonny is similar to my life in the aspects of family relations aspect. However, as the story progresses, the death of grace enables the narrator to come in touch with reality, which prompts him to contact his brother setting the journey to the path of redemption. I have never been into prison. #11. ", He pulled away. Complete audio reading of James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" He had a background as a preacher, so a text from the Book of Genesis in the Bible, has a similarity towards Sonnys Blues. I saw this boy standing in the shadow of a doorway, looking just like Sonny. Copyright 2003 - 2023 - UKEssays is a trading name of Business Bliss Consultants FZE, a company registered in United Arab Emirates. Would you like to get this essay by email? While Sonny and his eldest brother both are the center of the stories content, Baldwin uses Sonny to represent a challenge to the narrator of the story. The narrator insinuates that "It's only light we've got in all this darkness (Baldwin 139)." The light is a sign of redemption at the end of the sufferings. The Playwright focused a lot of his works on issues relating to racism and people's social problems. This story was written by James Baldwin, in 1957. And then he'll just start working his way back in again. The reader has to comprehend the harsh life of a male African-American who struggles with his dreams and drug addiction sometime around early 1957. Sometimes it can end up there. I thought I'd better get home and talk to Isabel. The older brother, a Harlem algebra teacher, is the unnamed narrator who represents every big brother; the younger man is . Although both characters were different they found an understanding by trying to feel what each other were feeling. The narrator cares for his brother and feels as if he has failed him. In conclusion, the author serves best in presenting several issues in society by his writing of the story Sonny Blues. The story helps to understand the type of life and suffering in African American neighborhoods in the 1950s motivated by factors such as race and racial discrimination, segregation, poverty, and violence. Music plays out as the main theme in the story and gives readers an opportunity to relate by presenting a realistic point of view of Sonnys elder brother, who dislikes the idea of his brother taking music on as a career. 4.3 Discussion #5: Baldwin: "Sonny's Blues" Discussion #5: Baldwin: "Sonny's Blues" Consider James Baldwin's story, "Sonny's Blues" and answer the following questions in detail, using text to support your discussion. And we would certainly have called the doctor, but the fever dropped, she seemed to be all right. #21. The nightclub where Sonny plays is very dark. It looks like a parody of the good, clean, faceless life-God knows the people who live in it do their best to make it a parody. I read it, and I couldn't believe it, and I read it again. Yes, I have read The Horse Dealer's Daughter which is also a good read, just like Sonny's Blue. From there, they exchanged several letters. Oh, yes. James Baldwin was born in New York, but grew up in Harlem where times were tough. SparkNotes Plus subscription is $4.99/month or $24.99/year as selected above. The story depicts the relationship of the brothers as the younger brother, Sonny, battles to overcome a heroin addiction and find a career in jazz. The Essay Writing ExpertsUS Essay Experts. Till the day he died he weren't sure but that every white man he saw was the man that killed his brother.". I started collecting my stuff. When she smiled one saw the little girl, one sensed the doomed, still-struggling woman beneath the battered face of the semi-whore. ", Though the story is told with music rather than words, the narrator still describes the music as a conversation among the players, and he talks about Creole and Sonny having a "dialogue." Sonny's Blues Lyrics I read about it in the paper, in the subway, on my way to work. He says he never in his life seen anything as dark as that road after the lights of that car had gone away. At the end of the story Sonny invites the narrator to come to a music club and hear him play, he accepts the invite. Delivery in 6+ hours! "Analysis of "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin." #2. While reading "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin theme, symbolism, and motifs were discovered throughout the entire short story. It's repulsive to think you have to suffer that much. The narrator of the Sonnys Blues was able to get out and he lived a happy life, having a family and a career while sonny got stuck and ended up doing drugs and eventually got himself arrested. I couldnt believe it: but what I mean by that is that I couldnt find any room for it anywhere inside me. The narrator talks about his students concerning two types of darkness that is in their lives, which demonstrates his perceptions to youths and the emerging culture of music. I wanted to say that it was all within; but was it? "It can come again," he said, almost as though speaking to himself. The narrator laments that the dangers of darkness is the fact that the students cannot see looming danger ahead, as explained in the text, drugs will do of them that algebra could (Baldwin 18). Additionally, the story through the use of literary skills brings out the struggles that were faced in families and associations in relation to moral values and familial responsibilities. Sonny is a musician and chosen music as a career, which he is also planning to take a full time course to further his skills. Youve successfully purchased a group discount. The story takes the reader through pain, suffering, alienation, and anger of the main character. "That's right," he said quickly, "ain't nothing you can do. Read 345 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Throughout the story, we learn about the relationship between the pair and are able to witness the narrators ultimate understanding of Sonny and his ambition. $24.99 James Baldwins Sonnys Blues is a short story depicting the relationship of two brothers, Sonny and an unnamed narrator. The central idea about Sonny's Blues is redemption. #30. This also shows how music was perceived by a rather older generation from that of Sonnys, which treasured music. Here's where you will find analysis of the key literary devices in Sonny's Blues.. Yet, Isabel says that when she heard that thump and then that silence, something happened to her to make her afraid. It's what they endure. The historical background that shapes up the setting of the story is relevant and perfect in presenting the relationship between characters and the contextual environment that forces them to behave the way they behave in the story. I started down the steps, whistling to keep from crying, I kept whistling to myself. Provide your email for sample delivery, You agree to receive our emails and consent to our Terms & Conditions, Order an essay on this subject and get a 100% original paper. Save over 50% with a SparkNotes PLUS Annual Plan! Looking for a flexible role? Then she stopped and the room was silent, exactly as it had sometimes been on those Sunday afternoons, Saturday nights, him and your father would drift around to different places, go to dances and things like that, or just sit around with people they knew, and your father's brother would sing, he had a fine voice, and play along with himself on his guitar, Well, this particular Saturday night, him and your father was coming home from some place, and they were both a little drunk and there was a moon that night, it was bright like day, Then he heard a car motor and that same minute his brother stepped from behind the tree, into the road, in the moonlight. #4. Sonnys Blues is a story authored by James Baldwin and published in 1957. All at once something inside gave and threatened to come pouring out of me. He frowned and smiled: "In order to keep from shaking to pieces.". The news doesn't go well with Mabel resulting in an attempted suicide. The supportive older musician Creole "erupt[s] out of all that atmospheric lighting" and tells Sonny, "I been sitting right here waiting for you." The time that the narrator has spent apart from Sonny, he was unsure of his appearance. So you've got to listen. This clearly shows that Sonny is not interested in staying in Harlem due to the fact that his music career is under threat from his brother and other people who do not believe in him and music. ", "And I'm sick of the stink of these garbage cans! Sometimes you've got to have that feeling. The brothers grew up in Harlem, where the narrator still lives. At the end of the story the narrator finally develops a new understanding for his brother, and forgives him. All these characters experience sorrow and sadness in their. The short story takes place in the center of civil rights movements in American society. Get help and learn more about the design. or, rather, wasn't that exactly the trouble? Upon arrival the narrator realizes he is in Sonnys world. Sometime I think I'm going to flip and never get outside and sometime I think I'll come straight back. As said in the story Some escaped the trap, most didnt. "When she was singing before," said Sonny, abruptly, "her voice reminded me for a minute of what heroin feels like sometimes-when it's in your veins. on 50-99 accounts. Close Reading Essay Sample: Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin. And he was giving it back, as everything must be given back, so that, passing through death, it can live forever. Booklassic, 2015. The author is positive towards the idea of redemption as he believes that there is light in the darkness they were facing. #34. 269. The story tells of two black brothers' struggle to understand one another. And the world ain't changed." I tell you one thing, though, I'd rather blow my brains out than go through this again. All they really knew were two darknesses, the darkness of their lives, which was now closing in on them, and the darkness of the movies, which had blinded them to that other darkness. Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin 6,712 ratings, 4.28 average rating, 438 reviews Sonny's Blues Quotes Showing 1-22 of 22 "For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. It was mocking and insular, its intent was to denigrate. I wanted to write you many a time but I dug how much I must have hurt you and so I didn't write. The Horse Dealer's Daughter is a story of Mabel Pervin, who is 27 years of age and unmarried (Lawrence 1). The Horse-Dealer's Daughter. (one code per order). The first type of darkness is the one that was closing in on their lives, and the one on the movies that is making them not see the other type of darkness (Clark 201). Through conflicts with each other, the two main characters were able to realize how they both perceive music. As noted from the story, the speakers uncle was murdered by a white men who ran him over without any remorse. Can't much help old Sonny no more, I guess, "I'm surprised at Sonny, though," he went on-he had a funny way of talking, he looked straight ahead as though he were talking to himself-"I thought Sonny was a smart boy, I thought he was too smart to get hung. Unfortunately, you cant copy samples. I got to get outside. Sonny's Blues. The fact that the two characters are always in constant conflict and tension makes the theme of music more evident in the story and a controversial topic. Ruby Washington / Archive Photos / Getty Images. Your subscription will continue automatically once the free trial period is over. Baldwin is a novelist, poet, and a social critic by profession. The narrator in this story is an interesting figure. In a moment someone will get up and turn on the light. by David Wheeler | Dec 15, 2011. To avoid conflict Sonny decided to join the navy and disappear for a long time, which is also seen as a moment of peace in the story until his return from war. Neither did they dare to make a great scene about that piano because even they dimly sensed, as I sensed, from so many thousands of miles away that Sonny was at that piano playing for his life. The other brother is simply the narrator of the story. Lawrence, David Herbert. #26. While it could easily be seen that racism is one . "For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. ThoughtCo, Feb. 16, 2021, thoughtco.com/analysis-sonnys-blues-by-james-baldwin-2990467. My clothes were wet-I may have looked as though I'd been sitting in a steam bath, all dressed up, all afternoon. | He had a background as a preacher, so a text from the Book . You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. "Do you mind," he asked, "if we have the driver drive alongside the park? The narrator goes ahead to describe a story of pain, prejudice, and suffering. . The narrator is a husband, father, son, and brother. After Sonnys return from war, he met with his brother in New York. The central idea about Sonny's Blues is redemption. The darkness of the movies echoed later in a comment about watching TV screens rather than windows, suggests that entertainment has drawn the boys' attention away from their own lives. Isabel will sometimes wake me up with a low, moaning, strangling sound and I have to be quick to awaken her and hold her to me and where Isabel is weeping against me seems a mortal wound. His younger brother Sonny is a troubled musician struggling with his addiction to drugs. tailored to your instructions. This narrator recently discovered the arrest of his younger brother for the accusations of selling and using heroin. From the story, it is through music that the narrator realizes Sonnys ability and value in life. "It's terrible sometimes, inside," he said, "that's what's the trouble. Sonnys Blues was created in an African American setting, where music was growing and was apart of the culture. James Baldwins Sonnys Blues: Childhood, Light and Art., Sherard, Tracey. While Sonny, fell into the depth of his feeling and influences. the title of the story is name after the brother of the narrator, it is through the narrators eyes about his brother Sonny. In this case, that sort of thing being nearly perfectly crafted fiction. 308 qualified specialists online. I was furious because I knew he was laughing at me and I didn't know why. The playground is most popular with the children who don't play at jacks, or skip rope, or roller skate, or swing, and they can be found in it after dark. James Baldwin is a renowned author best known for his work of essays, books and short stories, particularly those which dwell deeply into important social and psychological issues of discrimination, gender inequality, homophobia and so on. Sonny is the narrators estranged brother in which the readers learn through exchanging prison. Therefore, Sonnys Blues was imperative in influencing and presenting the setting of the story. It's a wonder it doesn't blow the avenue apart.". Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! Throughout the story he struggles to communicate with a brother who refuses to hear him. The final scene moves me every single time that I reread it. Then: "While I was downstairs before, on my way here, listening to that woman sing, it struck me all of a sudden how much suffering she must have had to go through-to sing like that. "I never give Sonny nothing," the boy said finally, "but a long time ago I come to school high and Sonny asked me how it felt." However, it is not until the end of the story when Sonnys brother narrates the powerful, melodic sound of Sonnys blues that he acknowledges his own pain. TO CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTION AND AVOID BEING CHARGED, YOU MUST CANCEL BEFORE THE END OF THE FREE TRIAL PERIOD. But something deep and watchful in the child knows that this is bound to end, is already ending. James Baldwins Sonnys Blues uses Sonny as an antagonist character to the protagonist, his eldest brother. Harlem, Communal Affect, and the Great Migration Narrative in James Baldwins Sonnys Blues., Clark, Michael. Yet there is a sense that this darkness provides safety for Sonny, rather than menace. This was my introduction to James Baldwin. It seemed I'd been holding it for all that time. The story takes the reader through pain, suffering, alienation, and anger of the main character. for only $13.00 $11.05/page. He notes that: Though both Sonny and the narrator have traveled the world by enlisting in the military, they have both ended up back in Harlem. #14. ", "It's not so much to play. But the worry, the thoughtfulness, played on it still, the way shadows play on a face which is staring into the fire. Want 100 or more? Contact us The father dealt with horses before his death. I heard somebody laugh in the room and then the tears came to my eyes. Instead of trying to find individual escape routes from the darkness, they are improvising together to create a new kind of light. While his brother feels like he could never truly explain anything to the narrator. He tries to make Sonny think of his future while acting as a fatherly figure to him. And I wanted to promise that I would never fail him again. Baldwins acknowledgement as he declares, I knew, no matter what anybody said, that the future I faced, was not the future they faced. 1. Throughout his day, he cannot think of anything else. "I couldn't tell you when Mama died-but the reason I wanted to leave Harlem so bad was to get away from drugs. He smiled, but the smile was sorrowful. The story is different from other books as some of the books often straightforward and does not implement the idea of going back and forth to bring the main idea of the story. It is at once painful and beautiful. Finishing in a nightclub where Sonnys jazz piano playing shows how he can turn his suffering into something good. As a young African American male born in Harlem, sonny is aware of the limits and obstacles he faces. 1245 Words5 Pages. I read this short story over a few sittings, taking my time. I had kept it outside me for a long time. #9. Having been born and raised in New York's Harlem district, he was intimately familiar with the sights and sounds that appeared in his stories even though he'd put an entire ocean between them.