The narrator struggles with expressing his emotions, his brothers addictions, believing his brother is possible of change and his music career. Sonny’s Blues has an undertones similar to the christianity, with Sonny sacrificing so much to overcome addiction. Although the story invokes Sonny in its title, it is through the narrator’s eyes that Sonny and Harlem are revealed. Compared to most of the men in his community, the narrator has succeeded: he has a wife, two children, and a good job as a teacher. The storyteller's mom, by accusing the storyteller of viewing over Sonny, is requesting that he fill in as his sibling's attendant. The dynamic between the two siblings echoes all through the story, partially, with the likenesses between the
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He even somewhat distances himself from Sonny at the beginning of the story with “ When he was about as old as the boys in my classes his face had been bright and open, there was a lot of copper in it; and he’d had wonderfully direct brown eyes and great gentleness and privacy.” (Baldwin, 175) He talks about his brother like he is remembering a dead loved one. Almost as if the narrator had a traumatic event in his childhood that lead to his dismissiveness in showing emotion. But all that is just speculation. Unlike Sonny, the narrator has a difficult time expressing his ideas and emotions, and only when his young daughter dies does he open up and write to his brother. The narrator believes that he has been called upon to watch over Sonny, something all good-hearted brothers feel, but this knowledge of his, possibly religious calling doesn’t lessen the burden he feels. Dr. O’Donnell states that “drug addiction per se causes a relentless destruction of character and releases criminal tendencies.” (O’Donnell, 374) The narrator seems to understand this and is driven to try to save his brother from said addiction. However, he is constantly aware of Harlem’s darker, more dangerous side. He notes the open drug dealing that happens in the playgrounds near the housing projects, the disappearance …show more content…
As a young African American male born in Harlem, he is aware of the limits and obstacles he faces. He struggles to defy the stereotypes by moving away from Harlem and beginning a career as a musician. Unlike his brother, Sonny wants and needs an escape from Harlem and the traditional social order. Instead of being free, however, Sonny winds up being confined in prison—far from feeling trapped in his community, he is now literally captive.
“Despite the widespread support of diversion, the literature offers little evidence to indicate whether diversion programs do, in fact, benefit the targets recipients in terms of symptom stabilization, reduced jail time, higher level of community adjustment, and stable participation in community mental health services.” (Steadman, Cocozza, Veysey, 615) The research article points out how even if a prisoner is excellent in the rehab programs that some prisons offer, there is little to no evidence that actually supports the effectiveness of said rehab programs. Even after Sonny is released from prison, the narrator describes him as a caged animal that is trying to break free from the effects that prison has had on him and from the drug addiction that led to his incarceration. Dr. O’Donnell also says
He even somewhat distances himself from Sonny at the beginning of the story with “ When he was about as old as the boys in my classes his face had been bright and open, there was a lot of copper in it; and he’d had wonderfully direct brown eyes and great gentleness and privacy.” (Baldwin, 175) He talks about his brother like he is remembering a dead loved one. Almost as if the narrator had a traumatic event in his childhood that lead to his dismissiveness in showing emotion. But all that is just speculation. Unlike Sonny, the narrator has a difficult time expressing his ideas and emotions, and only when his young daughter dies does he open up and write to his brother. The narrator believes that he has been called upon to watch over Sonny, something all good-hearted brothers feel, but this knowledge of his, possibly religious calling doesn’t lessen the burden he feels. Dr. O’Donnell states that “drug addiction per se causes a relentless destruction of character and releases criminal tendencies.” (O’Donnell, 374) The narrator seems to understand this and is driven to try to save his brother from said addiction. However, he is constantly aware of Harlem’s darker, more dangerous side. He notes the open drug dealing that happens in the playgrounds near the housing projects, the disappearance …show more content…
As a young African American male born in Harlem, he is aware of the limits and obstacles he faces. He struggles to defy the stereotypes by moving away from Harlem and beginning a career as a musician. Unlike his brother, Sonny wants and needs an escape from Harlem and the traditional social order. Instead of being free, however, Sonny winds up being confined in prison—far from feeling trapped in his community, he is now literally captive.
“Despite the widespread support of diversion, the literature offers little evidence to indicate whether diversion programs do, in fact, benefit the targets recipients in terms of symptom stabilization, reduced jail time, higher level of community adjustment, and stable participation in community mental health services.” (Steadman, Cocozza, Veysey, 615) The research article points out how even if a prisoner is excellent in the rehab programs that some prisons offer, there is little to no evidence that actually supports the effectiveness of said rehab programs. Even after Sonny is released from prison, the narrator describes him as a caged animal that is trying to break free from the effects that prison has had on him and from the drug addiction that led to his incarceration. Dr. O’Donnell also says