Living On The Blues Essay, Research Paper

Living On The Blues

Sonny s Blues, by James Baldwin is a story about the relationship between two brothers. The story deals with each brother s own internal conflicts as well as the conflicts they had with each other. The central idea of this story is how ones own experiences of personal hardships make them better able to empathize with the troubles of others.

In the beginning of the story the brother reads about his brother (Sonny) being arrested for selling and using heroin. Even though Sonny was sent to prison, the brother is unable to connect to Sonny s pain until his own two-year-old daughter passed on. The brother then understands that, My trouble made his (Sonny s) real. At the end of the story Sonny is released from his sentence and he invites his brother to accompany him to a local nightclub. If you can stand it, Sonny adds, aware of the fact that his brother shuns his choice of music and the brother replies, I ll try. The brother notes his perception of music, which the listener connects through their personal encounters, while the performer is communicating their own realizations. The brother at this point still has not been able to fully understand and share in the depth of Sonny s struggles. As Sonny is on stage playing the piano a common bridge of memories between the brothers is formed, and the brother then grasps a greater understanding of Sonny s grief.

The major character of this story is Sonny. While Sonny s character is round, the brother is stereotypical and dynamic. Sonny s character, which is a musician, is built throughout the story. Sonny is described as being seven years younger than his brother, the apple of his father s eye, having great gentleness, and private. After getting out of jail Sonny s appearance is revealed by the brother as being older and thinner, and looked very unlike my baby brother. The brother also notes that a, distant stillness in Sonny had deepened. The brother s character is discovered through his thoughts and actions. He is a high school algebra teacher who is the honest conservative type. The brother maintains the typical older brother image that is protective and can not quiet empathize with his younger sibling. It is not until the end of the story that the brother is exposed to viewing Sonny as a blues singer. This new perspective enlightens the brother to a complete understanding of Sonny the musician.

The brother s turbulent relationship dominates the external conflict of the story. The struggle they have between each other is the same of any typical sibling relationship, where the oldest is the wise leader and protector, while the youngest is rebellious and wanting to learn for his self. Disagreements arose from Sonny s desire, to play jazz and the brother wanting Sonny to, finish school.

The story is unfolded through the first person narration point of view. The brother tells the story entirely form his perspective and how he perceived the lives of Sonny and himself. The brother recalls having, been there when he (Sonny) was born, and had heard the first words he had ever spoken. Emotions are also conveyed by the brother who resorted to, whistling to keep from crying, when Sonny pushed me to the door and he slammed the door behind me.