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Sonny Blue

            "Sonny's Blues" a short story wrote by James Baldwin is about the past and the present life of two brothers. Both of them grew up together in Harlem. When the two brothers became older, the fell apart from one another and lived completely two different lives. In this book, the narrator is the older brother. He seems to be more mature and more determined for his future. Sonny in other hand, the younger one seems to be free-willed and he will not even know what his plans for the next hour. He wasn't that much concerned about his present or future. The narrator is a high school algebra teacher.
             When Sonny's brother, the narrator founds about the Sonny's troubles with drugs and law. Since the narrator is a teacher and his life is safe compare to Sonny's which the narrator thinks is dangerous. The narrator feels threatened. In "Sonny's Blues" Baldwin carefully establishes that the brothers are opposites. The narrator a high school algebra teacher and a respectable family man and even though he lives is Harlem housing project, he seems to be protecting himself from the dangers that surrounds him. Sonny is romantic artist who is not afraid of taking risks and chances to pursue the things he desires and a drop out of high school. Sonny seems too impatient with everything else because of his love and passion for the music. In his brothers point of view he is "wild" but not "hard or evil or disrespectful". Sonny had a dream a becoming a Jazz musicians but during his youth all the problems he had with drugs and law develops a fear on him for what may become of him if he remained in Harlem. Sonny tries escaping Harlem which narrator thinks a dangerous world and in which Sonny is involved. He tries to escape by joining the military but he fails. He tries to escape through drugs and fails. The drugs become another thing he tries to escape but it only piles of his problems. Sonny realizes that only escape he can get from his problems is those moments when he impresses himself in his music.


Essays Related to Sonny Blue

1. Sonny

The older brother, who remains nameless, feels mutually bound to his brother Sonny, because their mother wanted Sonny to be protected and looked after always. The story begins with Sonny being picked up by the police for selling and using heroin. ... However, he had made a promise to his mother before she died to always look after Sonny. Sonny's brother eventually he writes to Sonny in jail and the meet after he is paroled. ... Although, when plays Am I Blue he becomes lost in the music and his sorrow is projected through the music. ...

  • Word Count: 353
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Grade Level: High School

2. Sonny

Sonny's Blues The Title Sonny's Blues referring to the short story written by James Baldwin has many significances and double meanings within the story. ... But every time he began to rise above the contours of what was expected of him, he was once again dragged down into the blue-black darkness. ... It was the only barricade between Sonny and his dreams. ... Only one thing could save Sonny from his addiction; his music. ... Sonny's blues saved Sonny form his blues. ...

  • Word Count: 522
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Cain and Abel and Sonny's Blues - A Comparison

Byerman discusses how music and words create ambiguity in "Sonny's Blues." ... Just as the narrator uses words to present his case to the reader, Sonny uses music to do the same. Mosher's piece discusses the significance of Baldwin's allusion to the biblical text, Isaiah 51:17-22, in the final scene of "Sonny's Blue's." ... Mohsher's assertions give credence to the common thread that both the biblical account of Cain and Abel and "Sonny's Blues" share. ... Thereby, drawing close similarities between Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" and the biblical accoun...

  • Word Count: 543
  • Approx Pages: 2

4. My Brothers Keeper - Sonny's Blues

The narrator is upset about the turn in Sonnys life. In this moment, Sonny opens up on the things hes experienced. ... In Sonnys Blue, the narrator follows an ideal and perfect lifestyle which is described in the text as a parody of the good, clean, faceless life, while his younger brother followed a path leading him to drug abuse. The negative feelings toward Sonnys lifestyle are described in the way the narrator talk about Sonnys old friend from school. ... Similarly in the last scene of Sonnys Blues, Sonnys playing at the club represented a second chance for him. ...

  • Word Count: 1494
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

5. Ralph Ellison

Through out time, there have been many outstanding authors who have significantly influenced the world of literature. Each of them displayed a unique style and a certain literary charisma that kept readers spellbound. Charles Dickens, Emily Dickinson, Terry McMillan, and Maya Angelou are just a few of the many talented authors that have gained popularity through literature. However, one name stands far above the rest. Although many think of his literary career as short-lived, Ralph Ellison definitely left his mark on the world of literature and in my opinion had the most immense impac...

  • Word Count: 2599
  • Approx Pages: 10
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Blues

The blues is: ...an African-American folk music idiom, a forerunner of jazz and a major influence on 20th century American popular music. ...a song-form with an AAB rhyming scheme in three four-bar segments--each one part vocal, part instrumental response--using a I-IV-V chord progression, including chords with flatted "blue" notes, usually thirds and sevenths. ...a musical state of mind. ... He was often accompanied by (among others) harpman Sonny Terry, who later notably teamed with guitarist Brownie McGhee. ... At the same time, seminal singer and harmonica whiz John Lee "Son...

  • Word Count: 1753
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. THE BOP BEAT

The Bop Beat The bebop revolution coincided with the birth of the Beat Generation. In a slightly unbalanced relationship, Beat writers often molded their poetics and style after the playing of such jazz music. "Jazz writers," such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, upheld their poetic i...

  • Word Count: 2473
  • Approx Pages: 10

8. Miles Davis an American Jazz

"In the middle of January 1951, around the seventeenth, I played on three recording sessions: one with Bird for Verve Records early in the day, then on my own date for Prestige, and then on a date for Sonny Rollins. ... In the year 1959 Davis' most famous album, "Kind of Blue", was performed by his sextet. ...

  • Word Count: 841
  • Approx Pages: 3
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

9. Jesse Ventura -- Blue Collar Politician

Some other entertainers have successfully gone into politics such as former Mayor Clint Eastwood, Senator Fred Thompson, Congressman Sonny Bono, and President Ronald Reagan. ... He was raised in a middle class, blue-collar family. Before his well-known success as a pro-wrestler, Ventura was in the Navy SEALs, worked random, blue-collar jobs, and dropped out of Community College. ...

  • Word Count: 2434
  • Approx Pages: 10
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

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