Drug Addiction In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

By the end of Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”, the narrator has finally come to understand his brother’s music and drug addiction both individually and as intertwined entities. The reason why Sonny turned to music was as a form of escape, as seen when he confesses to his brother, “I don’t want to stay in Harlem no more, I really don’t” (Baldwin 136), which shows that Sonny believed that music was his exit ticket from the neighborhood. This is later reiterated when Sonny again tells his brother, “the reason I wanted to get away from Harlem so bad was to get away from drugs” (Baldwin 144). Unfortunately, Sonny remained trapped in Harlem even after his time in the army, eventually leading to his drug addiction and heroin use. It is confessed that that
By the end of the story, the narrator finally understands this, as seen when he states, “…he could help us to be free if we would listen, that he would never be free until we did” (Baldwin 148). By saying this, the narrator expresses his complete understanding of his brother, realizing just how important music was to help free Sonny’s soul, and how he felt no choice but to turn to drugs when he couldn’t escape completely. This, of course, can help explain why Baldwin chose to use the word “Blues” in the title, for the term symbolizes the transformation of ones sorrows and life experiences into music, acting as both a form of therapy and entertainment for others. Throughout the story, readers delve into Sonny’s life and relationship with his brother, mentioning specific instances throughout his life that were nothing but easy. Specifically, Sonny’s “blues” refers to his struggle with drugs, his need to escape Harlem, and his eventual entrapment in something he couldn’t