In life it is true that darkness is everywhere; it is easy to be consumed by the struggles of life that is why even in the darkness, light is often sought. Life has a strange way of showing that even in the darkest circumstances light can still always be found. The fight between good and bad, light and dark, ultimately guide Sonny and the Narrator in their journey to overcome their internal struggles. In the short story Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin uses darkness and light to demonstrate struggle, addiction, loss of innocence and transformation as both brothers teeter between the different shades of the blues, using music as a way to bring them both to redemption. When light is used in stories readers can very easily relate it to happiness,
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When sonny plays his music it is what keeps him going, he doesn’t play happy music he plays soulful music. It’s as if the feeling of being blue that is instilled so deep inside of him comes out through his music. Jazz music is soulful and Sonny’s soul is so deeply over taken with the blues that this is what drives him to find the light. For Sonny the music is his way to finding light. Sonny starts life as innocent as any one. He has a chance but, as mentioned in the story many times, the darkness is all around him. Growing up in Harlem could even be considered darkness because the life style there could easily over take someone. When the parents die and the narrator goes to the Military, Sonny finds himself in the beginning of the storm. He plays with all of his heart on the piano day after day. He knew it was his calling. He finally realizes that the music he is playing is driving everyone around him crazy. This is important because this is the moment in the story where Sonny loses his innocence and takes the first step into the darkness of Harlem. This darkness is seen a condemnation, it seems as if he will never find a way into the light. As the story continues it is as if the darkness is always lurking around Sonny. His life while in prison, his drug addiction, the people he hung out with, the streets of Harlem all show this darkness that he cannot seem to
When sonny plays his music it is what keeps him going, he doesn’t play happy music he plays soulful music. It’s as if the feeling of being blue that is instilled so deep inside of him comes out through his music. Jazz music is soulful and Sonny’s soul is so deeply over taken with the blues that this is what drives him to find the light. For Sonny the music is his way to finding light. Sonny starts life as innocent as any one. He has a chance but, as mentioned in the story many times, the darkness is all around him. Growing up in Harlem could even be considered darkness because the life style there could easily over take someone. When the parents die and the narrator goes to the Military, Sonny finds himself in the beginning of the storm. He plays with all of his heart on the piano day after day. He knew it was his calling. He finally realizes that the music he is playing is driving everyone around him crazy. This is important because this is the moment in the story where Sonny loses his innocence and takes the first step into the darkness of Harlem. This darkness is seen a condemnation, it seems as if he will never find a way into the light. As the story continues it is as if the darkness is always lurking around Sonny. His life while in prison, his drug addiction, the people he hung out with, the streets of Harlem all show this darkness that he cannot seem to