Sonny's Blues
Character Analysis “Sonny’s Blues”
In “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, the Narrator shows his biases and opinions about “Sonny” his brother, his career choices and how his views change towards him and his music.
The Narrator, and his brother “Sonny” was born and raised in Harlem in the 1950’s. During those times drugs and crime were all the streets can offer. Their parents died and their mom left the Narrator to raise his brother to look after him she said “You got to hold on to your brother,” “and don’t let him fall, no matter what it looks like is happening to him and no matter how evil you gets with him”.
He was a well educated man, a math Teacher, a husband and father, he considers himself to be a good up standing citizen. He served in the Army, however he didn’t’ want his brother to join, even though “Sonny” saw that as an escape from the dark streets of Harlem. He couldn’t understand or comprehend how his brother became a drug addict or choose to become a musician. In his opinion a career as a musician only spelled trouble, there was no real future in that. He only wanted the best for “Sonny” because he knew his brother was a good boy “I told myself that Sonny was wild, but he wasn't crazy. And he'd always been a good boy, he hadn't ever turned hard or evil or disrespectful the way kids can, so quick, so quick, especially in Harlem”. However he couldn’t persuade “Sonny” to change his mind.
The news of “Sonny’s” arrest left him feeling empty and guilty. Perhaps he was at fault for some of his brother’s demise, he had broke the promise he had made to his mother, to protect “Sonny” at all cost, but he didn’t instead, he neglected to reach out to
his brother, and for such a well educated man his communications skills were almost non-existent. Everything in the Narrator’s life had to be calculated, so dealing with “Sonny’s” issues, were difficult for him. Even though they were brothers they saw the world differently, “Sonny” wanted to
In “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, the Narrator shows his biases and opinions about “Sonny” his brother, his career choices and how his views change towards him and his music.
The Narrator, and his brother “Sonny” was born and raised in Harlem in the 1950’s. During those times drugs and crime were all the streets can offer. Their parents died and their mom left the Narrator to raise his brother to look after him she said “You got to hold on to your brother,” “and don’t let him fall, no matter what it looks like is happening to him and no matter how evil you gets with him”.
He was a well educated man, a math Teacher, a husband and father, he considers himself to be a good up standing citizen. He served in the Army, however he didn’t’ want his brother to join, even though “Sonny” saw that as an escape from the dark streets of Harlem. He couldn’t understand or comprehend how his brother became a drug addict or choose to become a musician. In his opinion a career as a musician only spelled trouble, there was no real future in that. He only wanted the best for “Sonny” because he knew his brother was a good boy “I told myself that Sonny was wild, but he wasn't crazy. And he'd always been a good boy, he hadn't ever turned hard or evil or disrespectful the way kids can, so quick, so quick, especially in Harlem”. However he couldn’t persuade “Sonny” to change his mind.
The news of “Sonny’s” arrest left him feeling empty and guilty. Perhaps he was at fault for some of his brother’s demise, he had broke the promise he had made to his mother, to protect “Sonny” at all cost, but he didn’t instead, he neglected to reach out to
his brother, and for such a well educated man his communications skills were almost non-existent. Everything in the Narrator’s life had to be calculated, so dealing with “Sonny’s” issues, were difficult for him. Even though they were brothers they saw the world differently, “Sonny” wanted to