Sonny's Blues Analysis

Following the demise of their parents, he failed in his new fatherhood role to his younger brother, Sonny. At some point, he thought that Sonny had surrendered to the toxic impacts from the Harlem life, but they finally reconcile, where he comes to terms with the significance of Sonny as a jazz pianist. Essentially, Sonny’s Blues majorly concentrate on matters family love and suffering. Racism breeds pain and suffering, which represents the vices in the society regarding discrimination. From the key concepts of love and racial discrimination, the literary work is a perfect replication of the ideal society and teaching to young people concerning the importance of sibling love. However, the disobedience to his mother’s commandment is only provisional. Additionally, at the closing stages of the story, the narrator takes his brother back home and realizes the importance of being close to him and offering him emotional and brotherly love.

Finally, he assumes the function of being his brother’s keeper with close attention and guidance to Sonny during his recovery from the prison environment as well as drug and substance abuse (Lobb 145). The revelations of the two brothers that range from ignorance and isolation to a lovely situation inspire young people in the society concerning the essentials of having family love. Again, Sonny’s life can act as a lesson to young people on the dangers of drug abuse, which might affect their relationship with others and even land them in prison cells either directly or indirectly. Moreover, Baldwin reveals that if family responsibilities are accompanied by accurate compassion, then they would mutually reward the parties involved, the entire family as well as the community at large. Traces and possibilities of the existence of family connections that are founded upon compassion are evident when the narrator develops after Sonny concentrates on his family.

In the beginning, he held the belief that his mother conferred him with the role of caring for his brother because he is the one in a stable condition (Kowalska 1). However, he believes that while he has so much to offer his brother, there nothing much he would gain in return. At the point, Baldwin directs his story to the entire community, particularly the fortunate who never see mutual beneficial factor from helping the poor. S. reside in an environment that attempts to exercise control over them. Baldwin also portrays the unfriendly environment for blacks in America by showing the existence of a higher degree of pain and suffering (Baldwin 110). The two brothers set to be representatives of different reactions to the prevalent suffering. While one brother selects a life full of passion and at the same time adoring creative manifestation and abandoning the traditional life, the other feels honorable of living an affluent life full of responsibility and order.

Again, the issue of racial discrimination is also outlined with the young black man in America faces the challenge of limited opportunities. Again, the blacks are also subjected to severe suffering as is the case of Sonny. In addition, the author also touches on important aspects of passion, restraint, and control that are seen in the two brothers. As a result, Baldwin express two distinct worlds and teaches people about the importance of togetherness. Therefore, the story becomes fascinating since it addresses real-world situations while at the same time offering teachings to different categories of people. org. za/index. php/literator/article/view/1148/1821 Lobb, Edward. James Baldwin's Blues and the Function of Art.  International Fiction Review 6.