Stylistic Analysis Of Sonny's Blues

The relationship between brothers is significant in the spectrum of life. As the first born in my family; I feel the effects of the responsibilities attributed to the duties of an older brother. In James Baldwin’s, “Sonny’s Blues”, I see many of these duties and responsibilities. The narrator echoes my own experiences as he struggles to deal with his younger brother Sonny. The narrator and I are both the eldest brothers in our own respect, and the approaches he uses when dealing with Sonny are relevant to reality even though this story is fictitious. The narrator’s approaches evolve as the story progresses, and the more he learns about Sonny and himself, the more their relationship deepens. The three main approaches, I see in this story consist …show more content…
Whether it’s about drug abuse or family acceptance, there are many things to be gained from this reading. For myself, however, I interpreted this text from the prospective of an older brother. To me this role is almost secondary to a parents’, in that our job is the safety and care of our younger siblings. Every older brother or sister cares and treats their younger sibling differently. In James Baldwin’s, “Sonny’s Blues”, there are three differing methods. One is controlling, the other is just not involved at all, and the last is supportive. The narrator starts out with the first approach, which in that situation does not work out very well for him or his brother. He actively tries to tell Sonny how to live his life. In this way the narrator assumes his approach is the best for younger brother and while it may not be wrong, it just isn’t right for Sonny. The narrator then adopts the second approach which is just includes being uninvolved and detached from his brother’s life. For a long time he doesn’t talk to Sonny, but this doesn’t work for him either. After the death of his daughter, the narrator writes a letter to his brother while he’s in prison, Baldwin …show more content…
Conversely, a combination of the three approaches may be needed to deal with all the conflicts and trials associated with the relationship between older and younger siblings. Sometimes a strong guiding hand is needed, other times they just need you to listen, and occasionally the only thing you can do is just let them be. I have experienced all of these things, but after reading James Baldwin’s, “Sonny’s Blues”, it just gives me a greater appreciation for the relationships I have with my