The Meaning Behind the Music in Sonny’s Blues, by James...

Many times in life we find ourselves in situations that end in suffering. This can become a very dark place, unless we can find something to pull us out. In the story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin music was the remedy. The main factors that make up this story is suffering, the overall theme of darkness, and the meaning of the music. Suffering is something that everyone has to persevere at some point in their life. One thing makes us unique is how we deal with these hardships. The characters in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† endure many difficult situations. How they choose to deal with these situations effects their entire life. To begin the story, we see that the narrator’s brother Sonny has already dealt with his suffering by using heroin. Then the narrator’s daughter dies of polio, but his pain helped him reach out to Sonny. He brought Sonny into his home to live. The story then takes a turn, and it jumps back to before the boys parents died . Their mother tells a story to the narrator about his father. His father’s brother was hit by a car of white men and he died right in front of him. He never was the same after the incident. Then she made him promise to take care of Sonny and not let him fall no matter how hard it is. After the death of their parents Sonny expressed his yearning to be a musician to his brother, and he shot the idea down. Sonny pursued his dreams anyway, but went down the wrong paths. By the end of the story when the brothers are reunited the narrator finallyShow MoreRelatedSymbolism in Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin Essay1286 Words   |  6 PagesSymbolism in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin In James Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the reader meets Sonny, a recovering addict, and his older brother, a high school teacher. Although these two brothers have completely different lives and personalities, the author’s use of symbolism brings them more tightly together like a real family. Baldwin uses symbols such as ice, lightness and darkness, and jazz music to add more depth and meaning to â€Å"Sonny’s Blues.† People usually think of ice or the coldRead MoreSonnys Blues - Baldwin Personal Reflection1220 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is an emotional story written by an amazing author, James Baldwin, who has come to be one of my favorite writers. This particular piece talks about the troubles of African American freeing themselves from the mental bondages of their surroundings, the ghetto. The title is significant, and helped me to understand the underlining meaning of the story. The title can be divided into two main reasons, the first, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues, meaning the music he plays. Second is the reference to hisRead MoreRacism In Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin993 Words   |  4 Pagesamount of people all over the world. Although racial bias has been around for many years, it only seems to be progressing into something that one simply cannot comprehend. In the short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† the author, James Baldwin, emphasizes the la sting effect of racism throughout the story. While Baldwin vaguely expresses the impact of racial bias on the character Sonny, the audience infers the idea the author is trying to convey. In the story, racism is a significant factor of symbolism portrayedRead MoreSymbolism In Sonnys Blues1392 Words   |  6 PagesSonny’s Blues by James Baldwin is a short story about two brothers that overcome many obstacles in their lives such as housing problems, death, discrimination, drug addiction, and imprisonment. Baldwin tends to use a lot of symbolism, allegories and imagery within the text as well. This story expresses the overall theme of suffering that Black Americans faced during the 1950s. The link between music, drugs, and environment play a large role when it comes to the characters suffering. Much of theRead MoreThe Effects Of Racism In Sonnys Blues By James Baldwin983 Words   |  4 Pages â€Å"Sonny’s Blue†, by James Baldwin, reflects a story of an unidentified narrator and his younger brother Sonny through their fights to overcome suffering and racism in Harlem in 1950s. The setting plays an important role in the story. The time period can be assumed to be an era filled with poverty, drugs and racial tension and Harlem being predominantly African-American. These factors seem to have a role in â€Å"Sonny’s Blue†. In â€Å"Sonnys Blues†, James Baldwin, a narrator, reflects a theme of sufferingRead More Symbolism in James Baldwins Sonnys Blues Essay1242 Words   |  5 PagesSymbolism in James Baldwins Sonnys Blues Missing Works Cited Several passages found throughout Sonnys Blues indicate that as a whole, the neighborhood of Harlem is in the turmoil of a battle between good and evil. 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And when Baldwin talks about suffering and alienation the y have the closest connection toRead MoreCompare and Contrast of Sunnys Blues and Cathedral 1075 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Compare and Contrast of â€Å" Cathedral â€Å" and â€Å" Sonny’s Blues â€Å" The two stories that will be examined in this essay are two that may not appear to have a great deal in common, but once we look deeper in to the stories it becomes clear that they are similar but still have their own identities, finding strong differences and similarities is the goal of this paper. These stories are â€Å" Cathedral â€Å" which was written by RaymondRead MoreThe Concept of Family in James Baldwins Sonnys Blues1017 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Family is one of the primary concepts in James Baldwins short story Sonnys Blues, considering that the connection between the narrator and his brother, Sonny, echoes throughout the text. The writer intended the audience to feel the relationship between the two characters and he initially induced confusion in individuals by hiding the fact that the narrator is Sonnys brother. Most of the story deals with the narrator acknowledging the roles that each of his family members had in shaping hisRead MoreComparing Sonnys Blues And The Rich Brother By Tobias Baldwin1152 Words   |  5 PagesAs we examined the essay â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† and â€Å"The Rich Brother† that may not have a great deal in common, but with more analysis in to the stories it becomes clear that they are similar but still have their own uniqueness. The stories are â€Å"The rich brother † which was written by Tobias Wolff is known for short stories or memoir and â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† which was written by James Baldwin also an American writer best known for its eloquence or rhetorical force in his writing. Both writers a best known for