James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”

Brotherly love is one of the main themes in James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”. I find it interesting that James Baldwin writes about brotherly love considering the harsh realities that come with growing up African American in Harlem. Baldwin in, “Sonny’s Blues,” discuses the importance of endurance and love when he writes about his brothers struggles, “the baby brother I’d never known looked out from the depths of his private life, like an animal waiting to be coaxed into the light”. Baldwin’s observation about his brother’s drug addiction is tragic. The lack of relationship that Baldwin has with his brother and his inability to help Sonny who is systematically oppressed demonstrates Baldwin’s caring nature. Baldwin further emphasizes his caring and enduring nature when he proclaims, “it always must be heard. There isn’t any other tale to tell, it’s the only light we’ve got in all this darkness.” Baldwin expresses the importance of brotherly love and that through writing or music even the poorest of brothers can triumph through any amount of suffering.

Baldwin uses symbolism and sentimentalism through the use of lightness and darkness to convey to the reader the lack of opportunities in Harlem. Darkness is more present through Baldwin’s story mostly because poverty, drugs, and a poor education system cause significant problems in Harlem. Baldwin does express the salvation through his symbolism of light yet it is mostly overshadowed through his use of darkness. For instance, Baldwin writes, “All they really knew were two darknesses, the darkness of their lives, which was now closing in on them, and the darkness of the movies.” This use of darkness symbolizes the inequality in America that is represented through underprivileged African Americans in Harlem.

20 thoughts on “James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues””

  1. I’d love to hear more about what role you think music or creativity plays in this situation. I think you’re right that brotherly love is important, but it’s clearly not entirely enough for Sonny. Do keep in mind that the central character in this story is fictional; it is not James Baldwin himself. Although James Baldwin did write non-fiction essays, and his first novel was often seen as largely being based on his own personal experience, this story and its brothers is fiction.

  2. I have always been intrigued by the story of James Baldwin. He is my favorite author. While I do not agree with all of his views, he has a way of writing that allows me to see things from another person’s perspective. I know it is easy to get resume writing services australiabecause they are easy to reach and hire.

  3. Baldwin uses this device of telling the story through Sonny’s eyes to give readers insight into what it must have been like for African Americans during this time period who were not able to get along with white people easily because they were so different from each other. I will read top rated resume writing service reviews before getting any essay written.

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