Comparing Sonny's Blues And The Red Convertible

Falling into Grey In both “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “The Red Convertible” by Junot Diaz the authors accurately depict two men who have suffered through many conflicts and painful experiences. The issues both Sonny and Victor face trigger painful thoughts and leave them craving a way to escape; sadly the easiest way to escape is through finding something that will block out the rest of the world by constantly forcing their attention. For Sonny, the easy access and use of drugs was tempting from a young age; these drugs control his emotions and allow him to obtain the escape he craves. Henry’s mental scars and memories from war leave him sitting restless and stressed throughout the day; never able to sit down. His PTSD was triggered almost constantly. The television provides an artifical focus that could take him away from the reality of his pain and stress and leave him focused on the plot of a film. While the TV allows him to relax, it isolates him causing him to feel more alone and stranger than he already was. The temptation and …show more content…
The arguments with his dad cause Sonny to feel misunderstood and alone. Sonny’s brother know’s “it was because he loved Sonny so much and was frightened for him, that he was always fighting with him”.(Baldwin 39) However, to Sonny the opinion he assumed his father had of him could not have been more different. Sonny made friends in high school and after Sonny’s arrest one of them admitted he had told sonny how nice it felt. The temptation of drugs and the relaxing and calming feelings associated with it depict what exactly what Sonny wants; a way to escape and ignore the reality of his situations. The drugs also give him a way to connect with out the stress of disappointment. There are other ways to escape the cycle of