In Sonny’s case he lost his dad at a relatively young age, compared to the narrator who is
seven years older
. Also the mother died while Sonny was an adolescent while the brother was an adult. Sonny lacked stable role models during crucial period of his life.
What is the narrator like in Sonny’s Blues?
The narrator in this story is an interesting figure. He’s
mostly telling us Sonny’s story
, and this would seem to make him a peripheral character instead of a central one. But this is also his story. “Sonny’s Blues” is not just about Sonny’s decisions and struggles but also about how they affect the narrator.
How are the narrator and Sonny different?
Unlike Sonny, the narrator has a difficult time expressing his ideas and emotions, and only
when his young daughter dies does he open up and write to his brother
. … The narrator believes that he has been called upon to watch over Sonny, but this knowledge doesn’t lessen the burden he feels.
How did the narrator change in Sonny’s Blues?
After the narrator of “Sonny’s Blues”
loses his daughter to the effects of polio
, his loss causes him to feel that he can better understand Sonny’s troubles. Later, he gains a greater understanding of Sonny when he comes to live with the narrator, and he perceives how the sensitive and musical Sonny suffers in life.
How do Sonny and his brother differ in Sonny’s Blues?
Sonny and his brother are
different in the way the go about life in
general. They were both raised in the same household, yet they grew up to be totally different people. As the story progresses we see that both brothers have troubles in their lives and we get to see how each thinks and acts when facing such ordeals.
Why is Sonny’s Blues in first person?
“Sonny’s Blues” is narrated through the older brother’s point of view, as he portrays their difficulties in growing up, separation, and reunion. Baldwin purposely picks to tell the story in the first person point of view because
of the omniscient and realistic effects it contribute to the story overall
.
What does darkness symbolize in Sonny’s Blues?
Light and darkness are in constant tension throughout “Sonny’s Blues,” and Baldwin uses them to highlight the warmth, hope, gloom, and despair that mark his characters’ lives. … The darkness, which represents
a roster of social and personal problems
, can be found everywhere.
Why does the narrator not have a name in Sonny’s Blues?
The narrator, who is also Sonny’s brother, remains nameless
because Baldwin wants to maintain the focus on Sonny’s life and his condition.
What is the main idea of Sonny’s Blues?
In “Sonny’s Blues,” a man finally comes to understand the darkness and suffering that consumes his brother, and he begins to appreciate the music that his brother uses to calm those blues. The main theme of “Sonny’s Blues” is suffering,
particularly the sufferings of black people in America
.
Is the narrator of Sonny’s Blues reliable?
The narrator is
a reliable and consistent in the story
. His perspective is the perfect choice for the story in order to present the information to the reader. If the story was written from Sonny’s perspective, the reader might not find the perspective reliable due to his drug abuse.
What is the brother’s problem with Sonny?
As he wonders what Sonny’s face is like now, we learn what the newspaper story is about: Sonny, the narrator’s younger brother,
has been arrested for selling and using heroin
. Apparently the narrator had suspected that Sonny was dabbling in drugs, but he tried to ignore his suspicions.
What is the relationship between Sonny and his brother?
From the very beginning of the story, Sonny and his brother have
a troubled relationship
. Guilt and unsatisfied expectations make up the majority of their dealings with each other. From the older brother’s perspective, Sonny cannot handle responsibility. From Sonny’s viewpoint, his brother does not understand him.
How are Sonny and his father similar?
Father. The father of Sonny and the narrator.
He has the same spirit as Sonny
, and as a result he fights constantly with his son. When he was a young man, he lost his brother and was haunted by it his entire life.
What happened to the narrator’s uncle in Sonny’s Blues?
The narrator’s mother describes the narrator’s uncle as a man somewhat similar to Sonny—he was a musician and enjoyed a reckless and bohemian social life.
He died when, while walking home from a concert with the narrator’s father
, a car of drunk racists ran him over.
Who is the protagonist in Sonny’s Blues?
“Sonny’s Blues” is a short story by James Baldwin that was first published in 1957 and was later included in Baldwin’s book “Going to Meet the Man.” The main protagonist and the narrator of the story is
Sonny’s unnamed older brother.
Who is the audience in Sonny’s Blues?
The audience for “Sonny’s Blues” is
people who live outside of neighborhoods like Harlem
.
