Research Paper

Running head: SONNY’S BLUES 1

SONNY’S BLUES 5

Sonny’s Blues

Name

Institution

Introduction

Sonny a young jazz musician from Harlem becomes a heroin addict and peddler goes to jail and returns to his childhood neighborhood after being released from prison. He moves in with his older brother together with his family. Eventually, they reconnect after a tense start due to the expressions of anger the two had towards each other. The story revolves around drugs, family and family struggles, issues core to the society today. The focus on human suffering is something that most people can relate to at some level. There is also the conflict between maturity and childhood that makes Sonny feel trapped between circumstances. Sonny’s is a common problem among young adult where he feels the desire to express his ideas but also has to listen to his guardians. This limitation makes him feel constrained on several levels. The story highlights the struggles of a young guy that try to find out what makes him happy and in the process makes pretty bad decisions and suffer the consequences (Guides & Blues, 2007).

The following is the analysis of Sonny’s actions to establish part of Baldwin’s thematic intentions.

The author leverages various avenues to explore Sonny’s actions throughout the narration of Sonny Blues. The first channel is the use of media where the narrator comes to terms with his worst fear that his younger brother has been doing drugs. This news plunges him into an ocean of thoughts and disbelief since despite having suspicions about the issue, he did not expect that his brother would get hooked. He reflects on his past and all he recollects are memories of a good-natured brother. He acknowledges that although his younger brother might have been wild, he was not crazy. These words express the level of trust the narrator had in his brother and the agony of having the trust betrayed. He compares Sonny to his students at a point where the situation at hand would be unimaginable. The change of character seemed sudden and gave him trouble to fathom as he points that it created a great block of ice (Guides & Blues, 2007).

The other attempt to highlight Sonny’s actions is through the dialogue the author haves with one of his younger brother’s friend. The friend was an addict, and the narrator describes him as unappealing for being constantly high and begging for money. The friend enquires about Sonny in a situation that the narrator seems to dislike. His hate is probably because the guy reminds his of his friend who is behind bars. The other reason not to like him is because he considered his as a bad influence on his brother. The narrator fears that Sonny was no special when it comes to peer pressure. The two seem to share the disbelief of Sonny’s arrest because they found him to be smart enough to keep off trouble. Upon his release, Sonny expresses his remorse for his brother having been informed that his niece had passed away. At this point, Sonny’s actions are seen through his interaction with his brother when he moves in with his family. Complete reconciliation cement during Sonny’s performance after a long times break. Sonny’s constructive actions enhance unity and healing. The narrator finally comprehends what Sonny had been trying to tell him all along about his music passion and attempts to deal with suffering.

The use of dialogue and setting by James Baldwin in Sonny Blues

The dialogue in the narration has led to several revelations. It during a dialogue with the ever-high Sonny’s friend that the narrator learns of his brother’s expected fate. The friend does little to encourage the narrator as he implies that even after Sonny’s release; he will not be able to keep off drugs. Also, it is during the talk they had with the same guy that he is told of how his brother could have started the vice. He confesses to having made drug use sound appealing to Sonny while he was still in high school thus encouraging him to indulge. Sonny’s conversation with his brother after he was released from prison and moved to Harlem begins by creating conflict. Sonny is aggravated for not being understood while the narrator is angry at his brother’s recklessness that landed him in trouble. The other key dialogue in the story is between Sonny and Creole the leader of the band that Sonny performs with. Creole welcomes Sonny back to the band a moment that signifies a new dawn. He finally returns to his rightful passion and his brother sends him a drink as an indication of reconciliation (Guides & Blues, 2007).

The story takes place in Harlem early 1950s.The city plays a significant role in the narrative since it forms part of the reasons that Sonny turned to drugs. The surrounding environment is not any better as poverty, and societal decay has overwhelmed people. Sonny explains his turning to drugs as a way to escape the feeling of confinement. The streets have a life of their own and the impending danger lurking below the surface. Sonny’s world sums up in a smaller world within Harlem, the nightclub where he reunites with his true love, music.

Narrator’s comments

The narrator tells Sonny’s story from the first person point of view. Despite telling Sonny’s story, he lets the readers see how Sonny’s struggles and decisions affect him as well. The central narrator is significant to the story since Sonny wouldn’t make a reliable source of narration about his life story. The story is also filtered through the narrator's memories; therefore, there could be missing parts of the story. The other cause for inaccurate information is the emotional attachment the narrator has to the story. Since he never used drugs himself, it might be difficult for him to account the experience precisely (Guides & Blues, 2007).

Conclusion

The thematic intentions of the author point to building a character that fits the profile of a troubled young adult. His story is told from a perspective of an older individual who has been past this tormenting level of growth. However, having led different lifestyles, there is great misunderstanding thus Sonny resolves to use drugs to help him escape his troubles. The setting sets a stage that plays two main roles in the story that creates conflict where Sonny gets drugs from the streets, and his turning point being at the club.

References

Guides, S., & Blues, S. (2007). Sonny's Blues Summary - eNotes.com. eNotes. Retrieved 23 November 2015, from http://www.enotes.com/topics/sonnys-blues-james-baldwin