A Literary Analysis Of Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

Sonnys Blues takes place during the middle of the 20th century, a time when jazz music was at its peak of popularity in Harlem. It is a beautiful story about two brothers who seemingly love each other but have a very difficult time understanding each others lives. The older brother, who remains nameless, feels inextricably bound to his brother Sonny, not only because he is of relation, but because their mother wanted Sonny to be always protected and looked after.
The story begins with Sonny being picked up by the police for peddling and using Heroin. Sonnys brother reads about it in the paper and does not know how to react primarily because they never understood one another, always argued, and rarely conversed. However, he had made a promise to his mother before she died to always look after Sonny, so eventually he writes to Sonny in jail, and they meet after he is paroled. Sonny, the protagonist, is constantly assailed by his older brother to change his life, go to school, and find direction. However, all Sonny wants to do is play the piano in Greenwich, and his older brother doesn't understand.
Throughout the story, the
In cities, it is always hard for those born into poverty, to escape it. The narrator did not have the easiest life himself, his parents and his daughter all died much earlier than expected. It would not have been surprising if the brother did drugs as well. The key to Sonny's future may lie in his brother's hands. Perhaps he can lead him down the right path as many other older brothers have. Sonny always felt negative pressure by his brother to succeed. If Sonny can find positive support in his family, he may be able to stay off the drugs. Its interesting that throughout the entire dialogue exchanged between Sonny and his brother, they never directly addressed Sonny's problem. It seemed to present embarrassment and awkwardness which neither of them wanted to deal