Identity And Suffering In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

The short story Sonny’s Blues, by James Baldwin, tells the story of two brothers living in Harlem. The older brother, who narrates the story, tries to make sense of his younger brother Sonny’s life. Sonny goes through a lot of difficult times but still has big dreams of being a jazz pianist. The brothers have a complicated relationship, with each not understanding the other. This short story was first published in 1957 by the Harlem native to bring to light the struggles of African Americans during this time, by exploring themes of identity and suffering in a community. At the end of James Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues, the narrator has an epiphany and learns the complexity of family and brotherhood, how hard times can lead people down different paths, and the power of music and artistic …show more content…
The narrator feels the responsibility to take care of his younger brother and watch out for him. He feels he has a sense of duty to guide and protect him, but also realizes that Sonny has gone through a lot and his experiences are vastly different from his own. The narrator doesn’t fully know how to understand it all. They have a misunderstood relationship, but Sonny suffers more visibly than his older brother, falling into heroin addiction and getting caught up with the police since their Mother passed away. Sonny’s personal demons are a direct response to his life in Harlem, where he faces the harsh realities of poverty and racism around him. The narrator can’t seem to understand Sonny’s life and why they fight and bump heads all of the time. Their relationship is difficult because they both expect different things from one another. They both get very frustrated with each other and can’t seem to ever be on the same page. There is a big tension between love and support, and the need to let go. Love and concern for one another most of the time comes across as anger and