Week 6 - Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin
Shane Nelson
anna.valibeigi
Jeb Wyman, Engl230 Creative Writing
Response: “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin
The main idea I gathered from “Sonny’s Blues” was the main character/narrator has had metaphoric blinders on most of his life due to where he grew up in Harlem. It seemed most people around him were numb, and the children of the present are still reflecting the early paths he remembers vividly. The first moment of this was when he was talking to he grown man user who was hanging around the schoolyard. This guy has deep roots with the narrator and he barks at the user “Don’t tell me your sad story - “ and follows with the thought, “Then I felt guilty - guilty, probably, for never having supposed that the poor bastard had a story of his own, much less a sad one - “ Despite their deep roots, or knowledge of each others lives, it seemed like the narrator’s thoughts towards him went as far as “I don’t want to be like that” and “You aided my brother in becoming a junky”. It even seemed like he didn’t emotionally respond to Sonny’s addiction, being in the army and away can help in distancing yourself mentally, not just physically.
Now I could go into the beautiful sentences for pages but won’t. He keeps referencing through amazing metaphors the idea of darkness, both of skin and the light outside. On page 2 of the story, he’s looking at the children in the courtyard, “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, which had blinded them to that other darkness, and in which they now, vindictively, dreamed, at once more together that they were at any other time, and more alone.” I think what he was getting at was the feeling of hopelessness that winds it’s way through poor communities where the lure of what else is out there is so drawing and people become caught up in “what could be” and don’t deal with the problems at hand, so they never really take the opportunity to leave. No one who is in a state of reactiveness will. This lure combined with the struggles everyone is going through creates a sense of community, where everyone is unified by the people around them. Problem is when one person reactively blind, they tend to fall into bad habits and everyone else follows.
I also had my breath taken away from me with the entire idea on page 11 of the story when he’s describing the parents sitting around the room talking as the sun goes down. They are animated and joyful, knowing their kids are around and yet when the sun goes down the attitude flips a 180. They talk “about where they’ve come from, and what they’ve seen, and what’s happened to them and their kinfolk.” and yet it seems like it’s too daunting or too much responsibility to explain to their children what they’ve gone to, and their reflection even though it might help their children avoid making the same mistakes. Perhaps the parents have completely given up, like it’s a waste of time to prevent anything. “The darkness outside is what they’ve come from. It’s what they endure. the child knows that they won’t talk anymore because if he knows too much about what’s happened to them, he’ll know too much too soon, about what’s going to happen to him.” I find that to be the saddest thing about humanity and especially parenting; the idea that because a topic or past event is ‘too hard’ to talk about or explain, justifies never sharing reflections or experiences with the younger generations despite the conscience knowledge that it would be beneficial to the generations overall well being and quality of life.
On Tuesday, November 6, 2012 6:56:37 PM UTC-8, Shane Nelson wrote:
Shane Nelson
Shane Nelson
October 30th, 2012
English 151 – Wyman – 10am
Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin is a short story written in 1957 by a young black man about young black men in New York. Clearly the story is close to home of the author, and was most likely influenced by real events portrayed in his life. The story was written and published right before and during the civil rights movement, and focuses on a rather controversial and well studied specimen, the young African American male around that time. Being one himself, James Baldwin has at his disposal and uses a wide variety of inside knowledge and insight to the lives and circumstances of the various characters in the story. I also find it interesting that the title reflects on the African American roe in blues music during and before this time period.
The story centers around two African American young men, soon revealed to be brothers. Their relationship flutters between good terms and rocky throughout the story, and one is clearly trying to do some good in the world while the other is a part time convict and heroin addict. The good man in the story acts as the narrator, leading the reader through the backlog of the two characters history, as well as their family history. Death, drugs, and despair all run deep in this troubled family, but both are trying their best to change it. Soon after reconnecting with his criminal brother the both try to set each other on the right path. The troubled brother soon finds his hand very good at piano, and near the end of the story comes into his own taking his troubles out on the keys and making some positive change to himself and others.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Most of the short stories we have read in class that are older have been my favorite, with the 20’s – 60’s being my favorite time period. I found that the authors craft in noting the tension as well as connection between the two brothers was executed superbly. Having a brother I am well aware of this. Even though they go a long time without speaking and have their differences and troubles they always come back to each other and find a common ground. The good brother feels compelled to connect with the troubled one, something I hope I or my brother would do if we faced substantial struggles in life. James Baldwin is one of the foremost representatives of the young black male population, and coming from Harlem in New York I feel he is almost an eye whole into the life they face.
The sad truth of our world, even 50 years after segregation and the Civil Right movements is that struggles like those described in Sonny’s Blues are faced by many each day. Many are born into these situations with no choice and require a miracle to raise them from the depths of society. While the troubled brother may not have made all too much of himself, he at least cut down the drugs and found a creative outlet that was pleasing to himself and others. Overall I think anyone who has a brother or has even faced adversity in their lives will appreciate James Baldwin’s marvelously crafted story.