Analysis Of Sonny's Blue

In James Baldwin’s story Sonny’s Blue is a story that shows different sides of a brotherly relationship between two brothers that took place in Harlem, New York in 1950’s. According to Baldwin 1950’s Harlem, New York time was rough for African Americans, because the place was filled with darkness, “They were filled with rage. All they really knew were two darkness’s, the darkness of their lives, which was closing in on them, and the darkness of the movies, which had blinded them to that other darkness, and in which they now, vindictively, dreamed at once more together than they were at any other time, and more alone (Norton Introduction to literature). There was a lot of job lost during the time of Great Depression and industrialization period …show more content…
The idea of brotherly love extends beyond the relationship between the narrator and Sonny into the community as a whole. Harlem is plagued by drugs, poverty and frustration but members of the community came together to watch over and protect one another. Fury and anger are products not only of the limited opportunities that come with being black in the United States that time period but specifically in Harlem. There were very limited opportunities that was available to them and that created internal anger that threatens to destroy their lives. African Americans had nowhere to go that time period so they used that anger upon themselves, leading them into a life of darkness. The narrator has learned the moral truth that meaning in one's life depends upon sharing with those we love who was his brother. When the narrator truly listens to his younger brother, a strong bond grows between them, a bridge is forged through the "blues." Before connecting with Sonny, the narrator has looked outside himself for solutions to his problems of living in Harlem, the death of his child. Now, he knows that Sonny is right and he should look inward into the hearts of those he …show more content…
The characters in “Sonny’s Blue” are trapped both physically and emotionally. Sonny is physically imprisoned in jail and by his drug addiction. He is also trapped within himself and unable to express his emotions or live up to his obligations as a brother until he decided he decided he have to change his life after his daughter’s death. Then his brother was physically free from everything, he did not go to prison and was not addicted to drugs. The only was Sonny was able to feel like he was living free was through the jazz club by being a musician. During this time period in United States the hunger for men at war was high, black men were allowed to enlist into the military. It was popular among African Americans to join the military, because they saw that as a channel for their freedom, however, when they returned home it was not the same. Sonny felt even more trapped due to what was going on with whites and blacks that time in Harlem. The only outlet he had was the jazz club. When Sonny was younger he always wanted to become a musician and at the end he was able to achieve what once was a dream and now it was his reality. Sonny’s brother learns how important it is to Sonny for him to care and listen to him. Sonny is vulnerable and in a state he is getting into trouble with drugs and alcohol because he feels as no one care enough to help him. The brother lived his life as a teacher while his brother, Sonny,