Suffering In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” explores the narrator’s and Sonny’s roles in their fraternal relationship. After their mother’s death, the narrator assumes a parental role while Sonny matures and grows more independent. This causes Sonny to run away from home in search of control over his own life. Baldwin puts his characters through immense suffering. At first glance, one assumes this hardship will only drive the brothers apart. However, upon closer examination of Grace’s death and Sonny’s letter, one sees that Baldwin’s use of suffering actually brings the brothers closer together. Although each brother grieves in different ways, their bond grew stronger as they suffered, causing them to realize how important they were to each other.
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