A Literary Analysis Of Other Things May Change Us But It Start And End With The Family

A literary analysis on the tragic necessity of human relations. “ Other things may change us, but it starts and ends with the family.”

We do not choose our families, but we become a part of each others lives, if not on a daily basis, on many occasions. When observing a family from an outsiders perspective it can be misleading because even in amiable families their is expectations society instills upon the ideal of the “perfect family”. However, from first hand experience I would say living in a family is very similar to being on a roller coaster. The roller coaster of family dynamics can be very unpredictable with waves of good and bad experience that define us as people. Growing on these journeys, families have to over come a myriad of obstacles that can tear them apart or …show more content…
Taking on the responsibility of filling the the shoes of his mom creates tension between the brothers when the narrator does not agree with Sonny's life choices. Often times when fighting with siblings or a parent we tend to over step boundaries and say unforgivable statements. this could be because being family we know what is going to effect the other person most. With this idea in mind, Sonny over steps his boundaries and tells his brother to consider him dead from that point on. From then on the two brothers did not communicate for years. As the story unfolds, both brothers desperately seek forms of salvation to break free from their misery. The narrator seeks ways to leave Harlem by detaching from society and engaging in normal activities like his teaching career, or spending time with his wife and daughters. Sonny on the other hand acknowledges the burden that haunts him and copes by pursuing drugs and his passion for jazz. Sonny says to his brother, “ I guess i was afraid of something or i was trying to escape from something and you know i have never been