James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” is about a Jazz and Blues musician named Sonny who is addicted to heroin. He is also arrested for using and selling drugs, then later on when released from prison, he goes to live with his brother the narrator and his family. In the story “Sonny’s Blues,” symbols were used to show the relationship and the feelings between two brothers, the nameless narrator and Sonny. Three important symbols are the form of light, Jazz and Blues music, and the images of ice.
One way how light appears in the story is the act of spotlight, how the light shines down on Sonny while he’s on stage. The spotlight on him turns blue and the narrator experiences a sort of revelation about his brother. In that moment he felt different about his brother and he realized how his brother felt about music. Then when Sonny places the Scotch and milk on top of the piano, the narrator says “it glowed and shook above my brother’s head like the very cup of trembling.” (78), just as Sonny appears to be shining in the light of his music. Light also appears as a moonlight and even as the absence of light in the story as well. …show more content…
The narrator blames the Jazz life for changing Sonny into a heroin addict because he knows that some musicians have to get high off heroin in order to play. Jazz music makes the narrator mad and harsh, but for Sonny on the other hand, Jazz music is very pleasant to him. It's the one really positive thing in his life because Jazz music represents desire and escape for Sonny. At the very end of the story, Jazz purposes as a connection between the two brothers. When the narrator hears Sonny play, he finally starts to appreciate the miracle and fear of being a
One way how light appears in the story is the act of spotlight, how the light shines down on Sonny while he’s on stage. The spotlight on him turns blue and the narrator experiences a sort of revelation about his brother. In that moment he felt different about his brother and he realized how his brother felt about music. Then when Sonny places the Scotch and milk on top of the piano, the narrator says “it glowed and shook above my brother’s head like the very cup of trembling.” (78), just as Sonny appears to be shining in the light of his music. Light also appears as a moonlight and even as the absence of light in the story as well. …show more content…
The narrator blames the Jazz life for changing Sonny into a heroin addict because he knows that some musicians have to get high off heroin in order to play. Jazz music makes the narrator mad and harsh, but for Sonny on the other hand, Jazz music is very pleasant to him. It's the one really positive thing in his life because Jazz music represents desire and escape for Sonny. At the very end of the story, Jazz purposes as a connection between the two brothers. When the narrator hears Sonny play, he finally starts to appreciate the miracle and fear of being a