Authors when describing their characters can either be very exaggerated with their characters or actually make them seem unstated throughout the whole story. Sometimes two stories that have similar characters express their identities in completely different ways. This happens between the short stories “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie and “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin. The protagonist Jackson squared in “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” his identity is expressed in such a manner that you feel like the author wanted to display to the readers that this guy was no good. While the author for “Sonny’s Blues” kept his protagonist simple and let the story focus on Sonny and how the brother wanted to reconnect with Sonny. Even though
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Sonny and his brother really don’t talk about their issues with each other they still somehow end up repairing them in subtle ways that can go over the reader's head. Like when Sonny is living with his brother after he got out of jail, instead of his brother trying to help Sonny with his addictions he leaves him be and his younger brother appreciates it. You can tell he does because he extends an olive branch to his brother when they exchange a few words “‘You mean, you’re going to play tonight?”...... “If you can stand it.?” ”I’ll try,”I said’”(pg. 141). Sonny knows that his brother has suffered because of him so he wants to show his brother a part of his life that defines who he actually it which is music. His brother excepting the indirect invitation let's Sonny knows that his efforts are being acknowledged and that he’s actually helping to repair their broken relationship and that is how the average sibling quarrel is sometimes solved with one of them going out of their way to make it right. This illustrates that the author is trying to express to the reader that his short story is relatable to most people that have siblings. While Jackson squared deals with his struggles like they are the most mundane things he’s gone though. An incident that makes Jackson squared’s character seem a bit melodramatic is when he is selling newspapers to make money and what he does is of someone who in a way could care less “I sold five in one hour, dumped the other forty-five in a garbage can, and walked into McDonald’s, ordered four cheeseburgers for a dollar each, and slowly ate them.”(pg. 6). If you really wanted to make money why would you literally throw out one of your only chances. This behavior that the protagonist displays from beginning to end is a bit excessive so that who he is can’t really be misinterpreted. It’s not that his actions are unrealistic but the
Sonny and his brother really don’t talk about their issues with each other they still somehow end up repairing them in subtle ways that can go over the reader's head. Like when Sonny is living with his brother after he got out of jail, instead of his brother trying to help Sonny with his addictions he leaves him be and his younger brother appreciates it. You can tell he does because he extends an olive branch to his brother when they exchange a few words “‘You mean, you’re going to play tonight?”...... “If you can stand it.?” ”I’ll try,”I said’”(pg. 141). Sonny knows that his brother has suffered because of him so he wants to show his brother a part of his life that defines who he actually it which is music. His brother excepting the indirect invitation let's Sonny knows that his efforts are being acknowledged and that he’s actually helping to repair their broken relationship and that is how the average sibling quarrel is sometimes solved with one of them going out of their way to make it right. This illustrates that the author is trying to express to the reader that his short story is relatable to most people that have siblings. While Jackson squared deals with his struggles like they are the most mundane things he’s gone though. An incident that makes Jackson squared’s character seem a bit melodramatic is when he is selling newspapers to make money and what he does is of someone who in a way could care less “I sold five in one hour, dumped the other forty-five in a garbage can, and walked into McDonald’s, ordered four cheeseburgers for a dollar each, and slowly ate them.”(pg. 6). If you really wanted to make money why would you literally throw out one of your only chances. This behavior that the protagonist displays from beginning to end is a bit excessive so that who he is can’t really be misinterpreted. It’s not that his actions are unrealistic but the