Sonny’s Blues Essay Example

positive role model. Due to the difficulties in the relationship between Sonny and his father and a promise he made to his mother, the narrator feels compelled to protect and care for his brother. The story "Daddy's Brother" highlights the theme of relationships further by introducing the subject of race relations in the United States, as it tells of the tragic death of an Afro-American man who was struck by drunk white men while crossing the street.

The upbringing of the two boys in a Harlem housing project sets the stage for their challenges and growth. In a suffering environment of inequality, their alcoholic father has been traumatized by the violent death of his brother, adding to the air of bitterness. While the narrator strives to transcend this environment by pursuing education and a career, his brother turns to drugs as a means of escape. This divergent coping mechanism creates a rift between them, though it is not the only method Sonny uses to cope with their difficult circumstances.

Within the story, music, specifically the jazz genre, is utilized in various ways. It serves as a symbol of Sonny's yearning for freedom, as well as the separation and reunion between the two siblings and their incorporation into society. The narrator desires for Sonny to pursue education, career, and family, while the younger brother seeks a form of self-expression and connection with others through music. The narrator's lack of comprehension of Sonny's passion for music and his desire to play piano in Greenwich serves as a barrier to communication between them. This divide illuminates the impact of assimilation into white society on the brothers. Sonny, an

outcast and drug addict who cannot meet his brother's expectations, finds solace in jazz as it allows him to remain true to his Afro-American heritage and genuinely express himself.

Both brothers suffer from the consequences of institutional racism, but while one attempts to assimilate and suppress his emotions, the other does not. The Blues music they enjoy reflects their shared sadness, but each handles it differently. Throughout the story, darkness symbolizes their unhappy childhood, while Jazz offers an escape from it and a chance to belong in the turbulent community of Harlem.

In Harlem, drugs symbolize the destructive nature of self and life for Black people. Faced with limited opportunities and hostility, Sonny and his peers turned to drugs to escape their grim reality and the anger it provoked. Water also plays a symbolic role in the story, representing the release or containment of emotions. The narrator's fear for Sonny's criminal behavior is embodied by ice, which settled in his belly and slowly melted throughout his day teaching algebra. Despite the continuous trickle of ice water through his veins, the ice never fully melted away.

On page 104, the feeling of pain and discomfort in the gut was sometimes so overwhelming that it seemed like it would spill out or lead to choking or screaming. The ice served as a way to numb this pain and suffering. However, towards the end of the story, Sonny comes to the realization of his inner tension and expresses himself through music. The water is represented as sweat, and the cold darkness turns into warmth and happiness, similar to how drugs previously made him feel "warm and cool at the same time"

(131). One of the main themes in “Sonny’s Blues” is that of the “cup of trembling,” which further symbolizes Sonny's troubles and struggles.

Baldwin's background as a preacher likely influenced his decision to allude to the "cup of trembling" from the Book of Isaiah (51:17-23) in Sonny's Blues (Stanley, 1979). This reference symbolizes the emotions felt by Sonny and his brother at the end of the novel and represents Sonny's recovery from drug addiction. According to Tackah (2008), the use of this image reinforces the idea that the brother will no longer attempt to control Sonny's actions (p.6). In Isaiah, the "Cup of Trembling" represents those who have sinned but are under God's protection. "Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shall no more drink it again: but I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee" (Isa. 1).The text suggests that the narrator's protection and care for his brother are symbolized by a Bible reference in verse 17, 22-23. Additionally, the narrator's mother also references the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:9, asking him to protect and keep his brother.

The story's opening scene illustrates that the narrator failed to uphold his pledge to his late mother as he, like others, had no idea about his brother's whereabouts. As he discovered in the newspaper while commuting to work, Sonny was arrested. Nonetheless, unlike Cain, the narrator tries to reconcile and redeem himself. Early on, he acknowledges his need to intervene, as he states, "I desired to assure him that I would never let him down

again… So I promised myself and prayed that I would follow through." (133).