LifeforAfricanAmericansbeforetheCivilRightsMovementwasdifficultduetoracismandthe

limitedpossibilities.InpostHarlemRenaissanceHarlem,thecommunityfacedoppression,segregation,
andpoverty.Throughoutthehardships,individualsinAfricanAmericancommunitieshadtodiscover
waystodealwithsufferinginordertocontinueon.JamesBaldwin,asignificantliteraryfigure,wrote
abouthisandothersexperiencesasAfricanAmericansthroughoutthe1900s.Inspiredalsoby
LangstonHughesTheWearyBlues,whichspeaksofsegregationandmusic,SonnysBluestellsthe
storyoftwoAfricanAmericanbrothersinHarlem,whoselivesareaffectedbythedrugs,sorrows,and
conflictsinthecommunity.TalessuchasSonnysBluesallowallreaderstotrulyempathizewiththe
AfricanAmericanexperiencethroughfictionaryliterature.
JamesBaldwincreatesanatmosphereofgriefanddiscoverybyusingpowerfulimagesand
motifs,addingtothestorysdynamicstructureandengagement.
SonnysBluesisastoryabouttwoAfricanAmericanbrotherswhohaveseparateddueto
familyandpersonalissues.Sonny,theyoungestbrother,dealswithdrugaddictionandduetothis
troublewiththelaw.HisolderbrotherisapproachedbyanacquaintancewhoinquiresofSonny'sstate.
Remindedofhisbrother'sissues,thenarratordecidestowritetoSonny.Thisleadstothetwobrothers
reacquaintingandhelpingSonnysrecuperatebyprovidingahouseandfood.Theolderbrotheris
constantlyfilledwithguiltforallowinghisfamilymembertobetakenbydrugs,andthisguiltleadstothe
brotherattemptingtobondwithSonny.PartofSonnysrecuperationandseparationfromdrugswas
aidedbythediscoverofmusicSonnylovedtoplaythepiano,andjoinedabandthatperformedina
localbareveryweek.TheolderbrotheraccompaniedSonnyonenight,andwassurprisinglyawestruck
athowpassionateSonnywasforthemusic.Overthis,thetwobrotherswerereunited.
AcommonthemeinSonnysBluesrelatestotheideaofawarenessandsuffering,represented
bymotifsoflightanddark.Thesemotifsappearamultitudeoftimesthroughoutthestory.Becauseof
thetimeperiod,manyyoungchildrenwereexposedtooppressionatanearlyage,affectingtheirviews
onwhetherornothappinesswasachievable.Alotofthetime,growingupinatroubledfamilyledto
dangerouswaysofcopingsuchasdrugabuse.Thedarknessinthestoryrepresentsthehardships,
physicalabuse,andtheusageofdrugsineverycommunity,becauseofthenegativeeffectseach
brought.Lightrepresentsawarenessofonessurroundingsandtroubles,whichonlybringspeople
closertothedarkness.
ThenarratorofthestorybeginsbyrememberinghisbrotherandlearningaboutSonnysarrest,
andrecalls,IfeltmygutsweregoingtocomespillingoutorthatIwasgoingtochokeorscream.His
brother,Sonny,haddealtwithfearanddrugaddictionforyears,andtheremembranceofthisgrave
situationhitthenarratorwithawaveofguilt.Sonnywashisfamily,andknowinghedidnothingtodrive
hisbrotherfromthepathofdarknesswasaterriblefeeling.UntilheaidedSonnyindiscoveringabetter
lifestyle,thenarratorwasfilledwithguilt,andblamedhimselfforlettinghisfamilylosetheirinnocence
andbecomeaddictedtodrugs.
Baldwindescribesthroughaseriesofmetaphorsthediscoveryofharshrealities,andfromthis,
thelossofinnocenceinyouth.Sonnysissuesbeginasachild.Inamemorythenarratorshareswiththe
reader,heexplains,Alltheyreallyknewweretwodarknesses,thedarknessoftheirlivesandthe
darknessofthemovies,whichhadblindedthemtothatotherdarknessThedarknessoftheirlives
referstothehardshipschildrenarefacedwith.Thedarknessofthemoviesreferstoanescapefromthe
harshreality.Movies,whosedarktheatersblanketedthethoughtsoftroubledmindswithentertaining
film,allowedonetoenjoythemselvesforashortwhile.Sonnyturnedtoherointocopewithhispersonal
andsocialissuesitwasadistractionfromthedarknessofhislife.ThedrugtookcontrolofSonny,and
insteadofbringinghappinessitstrippedhimofinnocenceandyouth.
Innocenceisdescribedasignorance,usuallyrelatedtotheyouthbecauseoftheirlimited
experiencewiththeharshnessoftheworld.Thenarratordescribesascenewhereheiswalkingdown
thestreetsofHarlemandpassesabarinwhichawomanisperforming.Whenshesmiledonesawthe
littlegirl,onesensedthedoomed,stillstrugglingwomanbeneaththebatteredfaceofthesemiwhore.
Thewomanwasonceyoungandunaffectedbysociety,butinherolderageshewasdiminishedto
entertainingmenformoneynecessarytosurvive.Manypeoplewerestripedoftheirinnocenceinorder
tomakealiving,forcedintothelightoftheharshnessoftheworld.InHarlem,childrendiscoveredtheir
worldwaseverythingbutperfect,andthisrealizationenlightenedtothemitwasnecessarytokeepa
strongouterimageandignorethedeeperfeelingsthisalteredpeopleastheygrew.Thenarrator
describeslisteningtochildreninthecommunity.Theirlaughterstruckmeforperhapsthefirsttime.It
wasnotthejoyouslaughterwhichGodknowswhyoneassociateswithchildren.Itwasmockingand
insular,itsintentwastodenigrate.Itwasdisenchanted.Thechildrenwereawareoftheirharshreality.
Nolongerinnocent,theywereenlightenedofwhathardshipslayahead.Thisknowledgechangedtheir
personalitiesfromgiddytomockingputtingonatoughexteriorwastheonlywaytosurviveintheir
unforgivingworld.Thechildrenknewwhatawaitedtheminthefuture,andthisknowledgeturnedtheir
childhoodsintoadarkanddepressingchasm.
Asmentionedbefore,fearandmisfortuneleadtoextrememethodsofintentiveescapefrom
reality.BaldwinintertwineddrugsintoSonnysstoryasamotifforthehardshipsfacedbyAfrican
AmericansinHarlemalsousedtorepresentdistraction,thehighSonnyfeltwhileusingwhatwas
referredtothenashorse,soonceasedfromoveruseandanewalleviationwasnecessary.Ratherthan
anescape,Sonnyfoundawaytoembracehisrealitywithmusic....whileCreole[bandmember]
listened,Sonnymoved,deepwithin,exactlylikesomeoneintorment.Ihadneverbeforethoughtofhow
awfultherelationshipmustbebetweenthemusicianandhisinstrument.Hehastofillit,thisinstrument,
withthebreathoflife,hisown.Hehastomakeitdowhathewantsittodo.Fillinganinstruments
referstoputtingemotionintoproducingmusic,givingadeepermeaningtotheoutcome.Also,themore
amusicianrelatespersonallytohisorherinstrumentaffectshowthetoneofthemusic.OnceSonny
begantofillhispiano,Everynowandagainoneofthemseemedtosay,amen.Sonny'sfingersfilled
theairwithlife,hislife.Sonnysmusicwassodeeplyemotional,thoselisteningwereabletoempathize,
andsignificantmemorieswereevokedbythesound.Themusictoldhisstory,hisstruggles,his
accomplishments,withthemusicpouringfromhisfingertipsbeinghisfinestsuccess.Toexplainthe
importanceofconnectingpersonallytothemeaningofmusic,Baldwinusesmetaphorsand
personificationofinstrumentstowritesound.MusicwasmoretoSonnythansimplyareleaseof
emotionitwasareminderofhispasttokeephimawareofhoweasilyhistorycouldberepeated,but
alsoareminderthathecouldinsteadfocusoncreatingbeautifulmusicandbeforgivenbythose
significanttohim.
AnoverlayingthemetoSonnysBlues,forgiveness,isrepresentedbyadrinkthenarratorgave
tohisbrotherthefirsttimeheheardSonnyplay.OntopofSonnyspiano,thenarratorhadabottleof
scotchandmilkplacedforSonny.Thescotchrepresentedthebrothersnewfoundrespectand
understandingforoneanother.ThemilkexpressedSonnywouldalwaysbethelittlebrother,caredfor
andloved,andwouldalwaysbeconsideredfamilybythenarratorevenafterlongstandingissues
betweenthetwo.Thedrinkssymbolizeforgivenessandacceptance,alsocapturingthehuman
experiencetohelpreadersrelatetothetwobrotherswhichmakesthestoryamorepersonal
experiencetoread.
Throughtheuseofvariousimages,metaphors,andrepeatedsymbols,Baldwindeliversa
relatablepieceofliteraturethroughwhichhisownpersonalstruggleswereembedded.Anatmosphere
ofdiscoveryandforgivenessispresentthroughouteachsubstory,givingSonnysBluesasaddeningyet
hopefulfeel.Therelationshipbetweentwobrothers,especiallythoseinasegregatedHarlem,relatesto
amultitudeofothersociallyrelevantinterestsincludingfriendship,acceptance,release,andadversity.
Anditbroughtsomethingelsebacktome,andcarriedmepastitIwasyetawarethatthiswasonly
amoment,thattheworldwaitedoutside,ashungryasatiger,andthattroublestretchedaboveus,
longerthanthesky.Therewillalwaysbetroublesandpoverty,butacceptingthisandcarryingonis
howonecandiscoverhappiness.SonnysBluesstoryexplainstheimportanceofrealizingones
strugglesandlearningtoacceptthem,ratherthanfindingwaystocopeandstayingignorant.