Past and present memories are stories within themselves. Memories have a special value in a person's life, whether good or bad, as they reflect on the nature of life and on the future. In "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin a question seems to occur to the reader: Why do the memories of the character reflect those of the author if the memories are painful ones? This question lingers in the mind of the reader as he/she indulges in Baldwin's masterpiece. Since Baldwin grew up in the slick city streets of Harlem, the story portrays a similar aspect by presenting two devoted brothers who share pain and suffering of their past in Harlem, and an undefined understanding of each other, which allows them to travel through the pain of the past and into the promise of the future.
The memories began when the narrator of the story, the brother whose name is never mentioned, reads about his brother getting caught in a drug raid for using heroin. This leads to memories from the time when Sonny and the narrator grew up, the death and departure of their mother, and how they parted, which explain a little of why they didn't communicate very well. Sonny was special to the family, because he shared a bond with each individual member. His brother always had expectations for him as he began to grow older. The narrator only wanted to do what was in Sonny's best interest. He wanted to see his little brother succeed in his education; one day he knew he would be proud when his brother walk across a stage to receive a diploma. In addition, he wanted to keep his promise to his mother.
Before her death and before he went back into the army, the narrator spoke with her. She told him a solemn story about their uncle that they never knew anything about. The story about their uncle was kept from them because it grieved their father so much that their mother told him he wasn't allowed to talk about it around the children.
