Drug addiction has contributed to a large portion of cultural foundations in The United States. Throughout the decades, the use of drugs has sculpted the principals of life in a majority of all ethnic backgrounds. “Sonny’s Blues”, written by James Baldwin, conveys a first person view of the effects of drug addiction and the recovery processes power to bring family back together after an immense amount of hardship. Throughout “Sonny’s Blues”, Sonny has been released from jail and is dealing with his heroin addiction. During Sonny’s incarceration, his relationship with his brother, the Narrator, demolishes and he uses his talents with Blues music to recover from his addiction and to reconfigure his relationship with his brother. Though Sonny
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As of Summit Behavioral Health, “Addiction is a chronic disease that affects the reward structure of the brain. It is caused by neurochemical reactions that are prompted by the introduction of certain substances and behaviors.” (Para. 1) In other words, addiction is a disease that occurs over time from different occurrences that triggers obscure behavior. Throughout the story, Baldwin hints at the hardship that Sonny and the Narrator have had to overcome is part of the reason for Sonny’s addiction. For instance when the Narrator says, “I was sure that was the first time Sonny had ever had horse…” (page 74) he is referring back to when they were just boys and their mother had died causing Sonny’s first down spiral. Some of the other hardship that ruptured Sonny includes the death of Grace, the Narrator’s daughter, a difficult childhood, racism, tragedy, and pursuing career paths that were not well liked. It can be perceived that Sonny’s upbringing lead him down a path of destruction that altered his decision making over the duration of his lifetime. Considering everything that Sonny has faced, it would be rational to say that in this since, his heroin addiction was depicted realistically in the story. The tragedy and misfortune that has come to face Sonny’s is enough to put anyone to their downfall and that is what makes heroin addiction a true, realistic
As of Summit Behavioral Health, “Addiction is a chronic disease that affects the reward structure of the brain. It is caused by neurochemical reactions that are prompted by the introduction of certain substances and behaviors.” (Para. 1) In other words, addiction is a disease that occurs over time from different occurrences that triggers obscure behavior. Throughout the story, Baldwin hints at the hardship that Sonny and the Narrator have had to overcome is part of the reason for Sonny’s addiction. For instance when the Narrator says, “I was sure that was the first time Sonny had ever had horse…” (page 74) he is referring back to when they were just boys and their mother had died causing Sonny’s first down spiral. Some of the other hardship that ruptured Sonny includes the death of Grace, the Narrator’s daughter, a difficult childhood, racism, tragedy, and pursuing career paths that were not well liked. It can be perceived that Sonny’s upbringing lead him down a path of destruction that altered his decision making over the duration of his lifetime. Considering everything that Sonny has faced, it would be rational to say that in this since, his heroin addiction was depicted realistically in the story. The tragedy and misfortune that has come to face Sonny’s is enough to put anyone to their downfall and that is what makes heroin addiction a true, realistic