(And check out the interviewer's awesome glasses! ), "Am I Blue? The main factors that make up this story is suffering, the overall theme of darkness, and the meaning of the music. This is a position many of us find ourselves in when we're in high school. The story Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin (1957) explores the theme of suffering experienced by Black Americans as individuals fettered by discrimination, unemployment, housing problems, drug addiction, imprisonment, and suicide. Students. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. Then perhaps I just stared at it, at the newsprint spelling out his name, spelling out the story. We also think this is one of the reasons you should care about this story. At the end o… James Baldwin InterviewA fascinating interview with Baldwin in his 50s. "For me, then, as they began to play again, it glowed and shook above my brother's head like the very He is deeply disturbed. "Sonny's Blues"A short film was made out of the story in 2001. James Baldwin 's "Sonny's Blues" is the story of a young jazz musician (Sonny) from Harlem, NY who gets addicted to heroin, is arrested for using and selling drugs, and returns to his childhood neighborhood after his release from prison. Sonny’s Blues The mother in “Sonny’s Blues” is an almost saintlike figure who guards and protects her children and husband from the darkness of the world, and Baldwin’s biblical imagery and undertones come through clearly in her character. At the beginning of the work, the narrator is lost, disconnected from his family and isolated from his community. A Streetcar Named Desire Jane Eyre Julius Caesar King Lear The Scarlet Letter I read it, and I couldn't believe it, and I read it again. (And you know that feeling, right?) very dark place, unless we can find something to pull us out. Shmoop's award-winning learning guides are now available on your favorite eBook reader through the Sony Reader Store. "Am I Blue? James BaldwinWe just really like this picture of Baldwin! (He's the musician Sonny doesn't like.). Or grab a flashlight and read Shmoop under ... Take your understanding of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy to a whole new level, anywhere ... Take your understanding of Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy to a whole new level, anywhere The teacher, the storys narrator, exits the subway and continues towards his school, his fear and anxiety growing about the fate of his brother Sonny, who has been arrested for selling heroin. Enabling JavaScript in your browser will allow you to experience all the features of our site. Baldwin published it again in 1965 in his collection of short stories entitled Going to Meet the Man. The story appeared in Partisan Review, one of America's most well-respected journals at the time. In that moment of pain, he contacts his brother, starting the long path to redemption. Thinking of his brother reminds him of his students, who face limited possibilities in a hostile world. Sonny’s Blues The unnamed narrator of the story discovers from a newspaper that his younger brother, Sonny, has been arrested for selling and using heroin. Louis ArmstrongThis is a great video of Louis Armstrong playing in London. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. Sonny’s one saving grace is his music, through which he can express all of his deep-seated longing and frustration. Teachers & Schools. Ken Burns' "Jazz"Burns is a documentary filmmaker who did an amazing series on the history of jazz. McClane, Kenneth. Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser. A summary of Themes in James Baldwin's Sonny’s Blues. Sonny is physically imprisoned in jail as well as by his addiction to drugs. The narrator describes spending the rest of his day reeling from the news, feeling like he has ice water in his veins. "These are the lyrics to the song Sonny plays in the club at the end of the story. Sonny's Blues Summary The story begins as an unnamed narrator, an algebra teacher, reads of his brother’s arrest for selling heroin. Print. He moves in with his older … In his teens, he worked as a Pentecostal preacher, under the influence of his father. on a mountain, in a canoe, under a tree. T he main themes in “Sonny’s Blues” are the power of music, escaping the past, and family support.. Or grab a flashlight and read Shmoop under the covers. Some thought so. He tells the story of his relationship with his younger brother, Sonny. Take your understanding of Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin to a whole new level, anywhere you go: on a plane, on a mountain, in a canoe, under a tree. The narrator of “Sonny’s Blues” provides insight not only into Sonny and their life together but also into their environment. When Sonny is in high school he turns to drugs because he feels trapped in Harlem, trapped in school, and trapped by what he's supposed to do versus what he wants to do. Sonny feels constrained on a bunch of levels, and we think this is a pretty common thing to face as young adults. you go: on a plane, on a mountain, in a canoe, under a tree. The brothers begin communicating and eventually Sonny is releas… Or the perils of drug use? Readers saw all of this in the story. There isn't any other tale to tell, it's the only light we've got in all this darkness.” The power of music: Sonny compares music’s affective power to … Between the 1920s and 1950s, African Americans began moving northward in what was called the Great Migration, a mass relocation in order to escape the Jim Crow South and seek economic opportunity. Tragically this includes his brother, who has been pulled into the Harlem underworld, experimenting with heroin at an early age and later becoming a dealer. He found himself an apartment in the artist's district of Greenwich Village, NY and then, in 1948, in part due to the alienation he felt as a gay black man in the US, he moved to Paris. Or was it about music? Drugs are a central part of the story, but it's also about family, music, and trying to overcome life's struggles. Paris Review InterviewCheck out this fascinating interview with Baldwin in which he discusses his writing, his personal life, his ideas about race, and other authors. I. on a plane, on a mountain, in a canoe, under a tree. The Meaning Behind the Music in Sonny’s Blues, by James Baldwin 671 Words | 3 Pages. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Shmoop and verify that you are over the age of 13. Yet as he grew older, he moved away from the influence of the church. In that way, the story is about being young and misunderstood. When the narrator di… (Accompanied by an odd music video.). Or grab a flashlight and read Shmoop under the covers. Or humanity in general? This website accompanies the PBS series. Or grab a flashlight and read Shmoop under the covers.Shmoop's award-winning ... Take your understanding of Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe to a whole new level, ... Take your understanding of Arrow of God by Chinua Achebe to a whole new level, Or grab a flashlight and read Shmoop under the covers. © 2021 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. Overview Take your understanding of Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin to a whole new level, anywhere you go: on a plane, on a mountain, in a canoe, under a tree.