Sonnys Blues (An Insight) Essay example - 572 Words

Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†, set in Harlem in 1957, was largely about the struggles of an ethnic minority and the stagnation they feel, but moreso how two brothers come to understand each other due to their struggles and from years of living their own, very different lives. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Baldwin’s constant, detailed, reflections helped me immensely in understanding this story. I feel that they served as a constant reminder of the social context in which this story takes place. It helped to have those incessant reminders because I kept thinking it takes place in recent years, versus the 1950s, before the Civil Rights Movement was in full swing. The biggest idea that I had to keep in mind was that the racism (ultimately†¦show more content†¦Although he has a respectable job as a teacher, he still feels institutionalized within his status of being a black man living in Harlem. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;After living their opposite lives for several years, the narrator fulfills a promise to his mother and watches over his younger brother. Through many revelations, the two find ultimately find a common ground about where they come from, the pain and the suffering of being trapped inside their status no matter how they tried altering it. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The most important part of the story, to me, is in the end when the narrator watches Sonny play the piano at the bar. His brother orders a drink to be delivered at the bandstand, and once the barmaid brings him a drink and sets it on the piano, Sonny picks the cup up, looks toward his brother, and nods. This signifies that there is finally a mutual understanding between the two, as if they had not really been so far apart all the while. Our narrator then describes the â€Å"cup of trembling† above Sonny’s head, as a symbol of all the pain and suffering that each of them have endured (96). The narrator had finally realized that music is what Sonny uses to channel his agony in something worthwhile and very real. The largest impact on me came from the conjunction of this scene and the statement from our narrator in the paragraph above the closingShow MoreRelatedJames Baldwin s Sonny s Blues1452 Words   |  6 PagesJames Baldwin’s Sonnyâ₠¬â„¢s Blues is a short story that, for some people, could be considered a challenging read. Not because of the level of difficulty, but for the fact that it shares a lot of human angst. However, Baldwin’s story still manages to be entertaining, as well as holding many life lessons in it. Baldwin’s story teaches lessons such as; dealing with suffering, being supportive, and accepting differences. James Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues does a noble job of relating to the readers on variousRead MoreEssay about Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin1003 Words   |  5 Pages There are many things we learn of Sonny and his nameless brother in Sonnys Blues. We learn their mannerisms, hobbies, occupations, and even their addictions. It seems we learn nearly everything about the pair; minus the narrators name, as previously stated. Hearing of their histories and the pains theyve under gone, we see how they deal with their pain, which often truly tells character. Sonnys Blues isnt a story of two brothers living in a rough city; one of whom is a talented musicianRead MoreJames Baldwins Sonnys Blues859 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿An Analysis of James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues In James Baldwin s short story Sonny s Blues a young man questions his brotherly obligations after finding that his younger brother has been arrested for using drugs. In the attempt to rectify his younger brother s behavior and life, the young man faces his own feelings for his brother and comes to terms with the life his brother Sonny lives. The developments of certain elements-plot, character, point of view, setting, symbolism-in the storyRead MoreThe Meaning Behind the Music in Sonny’s Blues, by James Baldwin671 Words   |  3 Pagesdark 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 situationsRead MoreJames Baldwin s Reality Through Sonny1253 Words   |  6 Pages James Baldwin’s Reality through Sonny Sonny’s Blues digs deeply into the â€Å"Negro American† during Civil Rights and Jim Crow Era’s. Set in Harlem, New York in the 1950’s. James Baldwin’s stories give insight based on events of his culture and this becomes apparent through the analysis of the characters in Sonny’s Blues. James Baldwin uses his talents to paint a vivid picture of African American life through a fictional story of two brothers who choseRead MoreRole of Music in Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin1345 Words   |  5 PagesSonnys Blues Sonnys Blues, by James Baldwin, explores the strained relationship that two brothers the unnamed narrator and Sonny have and how the narrator slowly begins to recognize Sonnys relationship with music. While the narrator is initially baffled by Sonnys dream to become a musician, towards the end of the short story, he recognizes that Sonny depends on music and that it is a driving force in his life, possibly one of the only things that keep him alive. Sonnys Blues opens withRead More James Baldwins Story Sonnys Blues Essay1261 Words   |  6 PagesJames Baldwins Story Sonnys Blues James Baldwin?s story ?Sonny?s Blues? is a deep and reflexive composition. Baldwin uses the life of two brothers to establish parallelism of personal struggle with society, and at the same time implies a psychological process of one brother leaving his socially ingrained prejudices to understand and accept the others flaws. The story is narrated by Sonny?s older brother whom remained unnamed the entire story. Sonnys brother is a pragmatic person, a teacherRead MoreReflection Of Sonnys Blues816 Words   |  4 Pagesstories that opened my eyes up to new learnings and thoughts about literature. The story that I most connected with that I really enjoyed reading was Sonny’s Blues, by James Baldwin. In this short story I could relate to a lot of the things the characters were feeling especially Sonny. I took away the most in this semester from Sonny’s Blues because I could understand Sonny’s feelings of using music to cope with challenges, making independent decisions in his own life and not having family fully supportRead MoreIf Beale Street Could Talk and Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin1128 Words   |  5 Pagesand â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† author James Baldwin shows that embracing suffering, rather than being trapped by it, leads to growth and enlightenment. â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† introduces two brothers who have differing mindsets about how to best cope with suffering. The narrator is Sonny’s responsible, unnamed older brother, who follows a very ordered path, using military service, marriage and teaching math to gain stability and escape the downward pull of Harlem. In contrast, younger brother Sonny lives his lifeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Sonny s Blues 1580 Words   |  7 Pagespoem, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues, â€Å"Apollo† and #280, the authors Baldwin, Adichie and Dickinson illustrate how one’s actions and relationships can lead to a deeper sense of self imprisonment portrayed in each of their characters. This paper will go into depth about whether these characters can escape from this figurative self imprisonment or if all hope is lost for them. The authors’ opinions on this issue demonstrate ultimately a bigger picture on life, which is important because it gives an insight on how t he