I guess the concept of “journey” is one of the basic concepts by which we think of the surrounding reality. We tend to apply this vehicle (figurative term) to all sorts of tenors (primary literary terms): to our various relationships, actions, experiences, to life itself. It is hard to think of something that could not be “figuratized” in terms of a journey, because it is indeed a universal, all-embracing concept. It implies purpose, progress, obstacles, layovers, perseverance and arrival – a pattern common to most non-static aspects of our existence. Everything that moves and changes is a journey in some respect.

Metaphorical expressions derived form the conceptual domain associated with “journey” abound in English (and surely in other languages as well): to be at a crossroads, to be lost, to have a bumpy ride, to move on in life, t

Some of the most difficult journeys we make in life are our relationships with other people, especially our loved ones. In his short story “Sonny’s Blues”, James Baldwin tells us a story of misunderstanding between the two brothers, one being seven years the other’s senior. The elder is a teacher in a Harlem school. He has a stable family and lives a conventional life, doing what he has to do. For Sonny, the younger one, however, such lifestyle is unacceptable. He wants to do what his heart tells him, and that is to play jazz. Jazz music was frowned upon by many in the ‘50s (it is where the action is set in the story), because it was associated with a dissolute lifestyle. Sonny indeed becomes a drug addict and has serious problems with the police. The older brother gives up on him and the two lose touch for many years. It takes a lot of pain for the former to understand the latter: his natural talent, his tender love for music, his desire to express himself and alleviate his frustration through play. Back in the ’50s, the prospects of young black people were really bleak. Because of segregation, they could not hope to achieve high and respected positions in society. There was the persistent danger of the street, with its drugs, violence and crime. This was the journey that could end tragically, as indeed it did for many young people who died young. The brothers finally understood, that different though their goals in life might be, they still have to stick to each other, because they are the family. In their journey the brothers learned to appreciate and understand

Some topics in this essay:
George Lakoff, James Baldwin, Alice Walker’s, Eudory Welty’s, Scott Sanders, Phoenix Afro-American, short story, , Phoenix Jackson’s, aspects existence, loved ones,