The human condition refers to the obstacles, important incidents, and occurrences people are faced with that is crucial to human existence. Aspects of human existence that includes childbirth, maturation, feelings, struggle, and death. Due to internal and external forces such as anxiety and living in poverty. In ''Sonny's Blues'' by James Baldwin, these forces makes people's identities change as they begin to mature. Sonny and the narrator in the story discover and express their identities from their bad experiences living...
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The injustice of addiction was and still currently is a multidimensional problem in the United States. In Sonny’s Blues James Baldwin illustrates how much of an issue drugs and violence were in the 1950’s and truly captures the constant struggle between failure and redemption. Sonny’s addiction problem provoked his arrest resulting in a disconnection with his brother. At first, the narrator in Sonny’s Blues responded to this injustice by dissociating himself from his brother but as the story progresses he...
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According to ADAA, “40 million adults deal with suffering and only 36.9% of those individuals receive treatment.” Sonny’s Blue by James Baldwin, circles a character named Sonny who uses jazz to escape suffering. The narrator and Sonny are both siblings who were raised in Harlem and exposed to drugs and alcohol. Sonny became addicted to heroin while the narrator became educated and formed a family. Neither stayed in touch until the loss of a family member. No one ever understood...
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Following the narrator's perspective along the tale, it’s possible to sense he is a worrying man, who is scared of reality after everything he went through. As he faces the reality of something unpleasant yet familiar, we catch a glimpse of who Sonny is through the narrative and his perspective. For instance, in a specific part of the story, the narrator flashes back to a younger Sonny and the loss of their parents, introducing the back story of a black...
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In regular family life, there is often a lack of communication between parents and their children or between siblings. Although parental love is always present, children often misunderstand or are unaware of their parent's love for them. This misunderstanding usually happens with the father’s love because of the difference of approach taken. Fathers often try to keep their strong figure as the head of the households and their love is usually implicit as, some may say, harsh. The theme of...
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A recurring theme in with story that is prevalent in not only Sonny’s life but Parker’s as well is darkness. Darkness within the story is symbolized as a menace. Baldwin focuses on whether a person should be conventional in making decisions for their life, or if they should follow their desires and do what they feel is right for themselves. After the death of his mother, Sonny seems to be on the verge of losing himself, trying to decide where...
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Sonny and Dee have several things in common. Both Sonny from “Sonny’s Blues” and Dee from “Everyday Use” are African American, meaning they are both black. Although at the time these stories were written, they were referred to as Negros. Due to their color, both Sonny and Dee struggled in society. They did not have the same treatment as the other children. “You're getting to be a big boy,' I said desperately, 'it's time you started thinking about your future.'...
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Addiction to drugs is an overall theme in “Sonny’s Blues”, impacting both those with the addiction and their loved ones. In the story, heroin takes a toll on lives, families, and talent. From another perspective, it offers a period of time where the user can escape from depressing physical and emotional environments. Sonny uses heroin as a way to cope with the suffering he is feeling that is surrounding him. James Baldwin does not judge the characters in the story...
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A Marxist Take on Sonny’s Blue The oppression and social status of African Americans in the late 1950s were harsh. This essay will be viewing the story through a Marxist critical lens. During this time frame, there were major Culture differences. African Americans were often looked down upon strictly just because of their nationality. We see many examples of oppression in the story “Sonny’s Blue by James Baldwin. The whole story takes A look inside at how hard it actually...
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Drug abuse is extremely prevalent in our society today and has increased tremendously due to the controversy of whether some drugs should be legalized in our country or not. As a result, it can be argued that drug abuse is very harmful to people and should be controlled and dealt with accordingly. First, drug abuse results in the destruction of the user's health. When using drugs, it may lead to serious medical complications and even cancer. The user eventually reaches...
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In the poem “Sonny's Blues” written by James Baldwin was narrated from the perspective of Sonny's brother. The poem goes along to tell a story about an African American math teacher in 1950s Harlem, to his brother Sonny, a jazz pianist who has dealt with heroin addiction at a young age. Unlike many of the young boys in the neighborhood, Sonny is not hard or brutal. He keeps all of his problems bottled up except when he plays music. The...
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The effects of the Jim Crow Laws lasted until the mid-1960s, since Everyday Use was set in the late 1960s early 1970s even, they got effect from the laws. During this time of age many African Americans were struggling to reshape and regain their social and political identity in American society. At the time scholars became interested in the African heritage that had survived throughout Slavery and Jim Crow Laws, they wanted to know how these traditions were still present...
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At your current age, how would you describe the sum of your life? Would you include your relationships with friends or family? Humans were created as inherently social beings who are constantly striving to connect, interact, and become familiar with each other. Despite our instinctual desire for harmonious relationships, time has encouraged us to place focus and efforts into other things, rather than the creation of relationships. This leads to miscommunication and additional conflict which is represented within Ramsey’s “The...
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“Sonny’s Blues”, written by James Baldwin is a short fiction story published in 1957. The story takes place at the beginning of the civil rights movement. It describes the relationship between two brothers, one that has fallen in the drug cycle of Harlem, and the other who tried to not repeat the same pattern and become a successful man. Nonetheless, throughout the begin of the story, we can understand that the setting (Harlem), has a significant impact on their relationship,...
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Bigotry is that the belief that a specific race is superior or inferior to another, that a person’s social and ethical traits are preset by his or her inborn biological characteristics. Racial separatism is that the belief, normally supported racism, that different races should remain unintegrated and aside from each other. Bigotry was an enormous deal within the twentieth century as racism became socially taboo America’s peculiar development morphed once more, into associate interlocking complex of institutional practices that present...
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The dictionary defines music as “sound in time that expresses ideas or emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony, and color.” Music gives even the most silent people a voice and is known to be one of the few coping mechanisms that doesn’t have negative side effects. It is no surprise that music is a prominent feature in everyone's life because of this. Whether a person plays or just listens to music it can, if you...
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In the short story “Sonny’s Blues” written by James Baldwin, character Sonny possesses the gift of music specifically jazz. His music offers him a chance at redemption but at the same time it threatens to destroy him by leading back to his destructive addiction. This suggests that one’s creative ability can be a saving grace, but can lead to a life of despair. The music that Sonny performs is based off an expression of freedom and passion more than a...
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Author’s deliberately incorporate a variety of literary elements into their work to impact readers on emotional and intellectual levels. An author’s choice of words communicates not only plot and character, but also tone, theme, and vision. Good writing resonates with readers when an author effectively uses language to convey a universal message. Just as musicians use notes, authors use words to evoke certain emotions within a reader. The artistic decisions made by a writer affect how his piece impacts the...
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The setting in all short stories is a very important part, setting is the place or type of surroundings where something is positioned or where an event happens. The setting is important in the stories “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’brien, “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “Hills like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway. It is important to establish a setting in the story so the readers can visualize and experience what is happening. The settings in the stories...
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James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” is a great narrative since it incorporates different themes that include life choices, friendly relations, and second chances. “Sonny’s Blues” is a fictional storyline that narrates real-life situations and sufferings. Baldwin effectively provides an understanding not only in Sonny’s life but also into his environments, making the narrative unique in its nature. “Sonny’s Blues” is the best reading because Baldwin connects the audience with all of the characters while also focusing on human suffering, which is...
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In the short story, “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin (2009) the period in which it was published was the Harlem Renaissance, where there was a continual reiteration of social hierarchy that was imposed by a higher class. Similarly, “The Yellow Wallpaper” was published during the nineteenth century, which was a period in which women were oppressed and were silenced by a patriarchal society. The emphasis on the treatment of the protagonist, Sonny, who ultimately embodies the conflictive essence of black...
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Before reading the first 60 pages of If Beale Street Could Talk by James Balwin I knew very little of him, other than reading a short story by him in high school by the name of Sonny’s Blues. What struck me most in the reading of If Beale Street Could Talk was the way he wrote about love. I personally wanted to know whether James Baldwin ever fell in love or ever had kids of his own. After reading a...
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In “The Shroud” and “Sonny’s Blues” both the Grimm Brothers and James Baldwin created a very sympathetic story that conveys the messages of sorrow, loss and transformation but make peace at the end. There are many similarities in both of these short captivating stories and both stories are made to make the reader feel for the characters. Even though they are “short”, they really can stir up your emotions and are able to depict the difficulties of what each of...
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The surroundings of someone has impact and influence on an individual's behavior, this is also referred to as “nurture.” These influences later eventually determine mental health and the roles in society one fulfills. Two short stories, James Baldwin’s, “Sonny’s Blues' ' and Daniel Alarcón, “The Ballad of Rocky Rontal” are great examples of two different men who are from two different cultures, yet still have similarities. Both storylines give an exceptional amount of details elaborating on suffering, stereotyping, anger, and...
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Introduction: The Struggles of Two Brothers in Harlem When the odds are stacked against you, what do you do? Do you rise above and take your future into your own hands or do you become a victim of your situation? This theme was prevalent throughout the short story “Sonny’s Blues” written in 1957 by James Baldwin. “Sonny’s Blues”, set in Harlem in 1957, touched upon the struggles of two African American brothers, the narrator and Sonny. The narrator is an...
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Family for most people play a vital role in their life, whether it is from personal development, emotional support, or moral guidance. Family is everything. One would assume, parents are the sole contributor to the overall development of a child while that may be true, the bond of a brother or sister can be just as significant. This goes beyond just a bond between a sibling, or the back and forth bickering, no this creates a foundation, a blueprint into...
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Emotional strain over long periods of time can inevitably lead to the final failing of relationships. Substance abuse can change the individual’s behavior, they become more isolated; closing their family and friends off. They tend to avoid family or friends who have confronted them about their addiction, and some steal from their loved ones to finance their addiction which adds more strain on the already broken relationship. One example of fractured relationships because of addiction would be Sonny and his...
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A narrator is one of the most important elements of any literary work, as he, she, or they are the voice that not only shares the story with the reader, but also conveys their thoughts, opinions, and details to make the story more understandable. What is a narrator, exactly? According to the Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, a narrator is “one who tells a story”. There are three different points of view that can be used in narrating a story. When...
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The story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin talks about Sonny who lives in Harlem in the 1950’s. The story, is centered about Sonny who is a talented musician, lives a life full of struggles and was trapped in drug addiction which got him in jail while trying to attain success in life. The narrator, Sonny’s brother has a very hard time understanding Sonny and believes his brother’s choice of being a jazz musician is bad and tries to convince him...
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