Sonny's Blues - A Literary Criticism

This essay provides a literary criticism of James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues, discussing the major threats faced by the African-American community in mid-twentieth century America. The story explores the darkness that is presented in a symbolic manner in order to represent the various threats that tend to be presented to the African American community.

Running head: SONNY'S BLUES - A LITERARY CRITICISM
SONNY'S BLUES - A LITERARY CRITICISM
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1SONNY'S BLUES - A LITERARY CRITICISM
James Baldwin is one of the famous playwrights of America and is known to be a major
explorer of the intricacies in the class, race and the sexuality as was present in the society of
America in the mid-twentieth century. Sonny’s Blues is one of the major compositions of the
famous American novelist James Baldwin. The story was published in the year 1957 and was
centered around the civil rights movement that had been raging within the country at that
particular point of time. Sonny’s Blues discusses the major threats that were experienced by the
people belonging to the African-American community that had been residing in America. The
following essay attempts a literary criticism of the novel in discussion, Sonny’s Blues.
The story in discussion, Sonny’s Blues, is observed to open with the description of
reading of the newspaper. The narrator has been reading the newspaper wherein the news of the
arrest of the younger brother of the narrator. The narrator states that he had been estranged from
his younger brother. The younger brother of the narrator has been facing arrest due to the sale of
heroin. The narrator reveals that the brothers had grown up in Harlem, the present residence of
the narrator. The narrator of the story is described to be an algebra teacher in the high school and
has been living with his family. He is known to have been demonstrating the characteristics of an
extremely doting father and husband. The brother of the narrator, Sonny, is however known to
have led a more extravagant life which was wilder as compared to the other members of the
family (Tracy). The narrator is known to have maintained no contact with his brother Sonny
since he had despised the ways in which his brother had been leading his life. The major points if
dislike on the part of the narrator refers to the drug abuse on the part of Sonny as well as his
attraction to the bebop music. However, the narrator of the story is forced to contact his brother
after the death of his daughter due to polio.

2SONNY'S BLUES - A LITERARY CRITICISM
The story proceeds to reveal that Sonny has moved in with the family of his brother after
he is released from prison. The narrator is invited to one of the concerts where Sonny has been
performing. The narrator accepts the invitation and arrives at the show only to develop a better
insight into the activities of his brother. The narrator is observed to be deeply moved by the
music that was composed by Sonny and is even observed to send his brother, Sonny, a drink as
well.
The major theme that is explored within the story in discussion, Sonny’s Blues is the
major darkness that is depicted throughout the story. The story tends to explore the darkness that
is presented in a symbolic manner in order to represent the various threats that tend to be
presented to the African American community (Reilly). This is majorly observed in the
discussions wherein the narrator explains to his students the two major types of darkness that is
faced by the citizens of the African American origin. This is revealed in the following discussion
by narrator,
"All they really knew were two darknesses, the darkness of their lives, which was
now closing in on them, and the darkness of the movies, which had blinded them
to that other darkness."
(Baldwin)
The narrator is also observed to grieve the fact that many of his students might have been
using drugs in order to relieve themselves from the darkness and the menaces that are faced by
them. The story further reveals that the attention of the younger generation of the country has
shifted from their own lives to the matters that are put forth by the entertainment media (Tracy).

3SONNY'S BLUES - A LITERARY CRITICISM
The narrator is further observed to realize that the world around has not changed much while
returning home with his brother. This is aptly described in the observation of the narrator.
"… houses exactly like the houses of our past yet dominated the landscape, boys
exactly like the boys we once had been found themselves smothering in these
houses, came down into the streets for light and air, and found themselves
encircled by disaster."
(Baldwin)
The author further states that both the brothers had travelled the world due to their
endeavors in the military. The narrator reveals that he was known to have escaped the “darkness”
in his life through the attainment of a respectable job and the initiation of the family (Reilly). The
situation finally helps the narrator to realize the fact that the society has not changed for the
better in the years when he had been growing. The narrator feels that he has been experiencing a
situation that was faced by the elderly members of the society. This is vividly illustrated in the
description as provided by the author.
"The darkness outside is what the old folks have been talking about. It's what
they've come from. It's what they endure. The child knows that they won't talk
any more because if he knows too much about what's happened to them, he'll
know too much too soon, about what's going to happen to him."
(Baldwin)
The author sheds light on the fact that the darkness in the nightclub wherein Sonny has
been performing tends to provide relief to Sonny as this helps Sonny to put forth his own
feelings through the music (Tracy). The narrator states that the music that is served by Sonny and

4SONNY'S BLUES - A LITERARY CRITICISM
his co-players tend to create a surreal atmosphere within the nightclub that helps the people
around to have a small glimpse of release from the mundane life that they lead.
In conclusion it might be stated that the story in discussion, Sonny’s Blues, demonstrates
a better picture of the menaces that were faced by the residents of America who belonged to the
African American origin. Sonny’s Blues discusses the major threats that were experienced by the
people belonging to the African-American community that had been residing in America.

5SONNY'S BLUES - A LITERARY CRITICISM
References
Baldwin, James. Sonny's blues. Ernst Klett Sprachen, 2009.
Reilly, John M. "" Sonny's Blues": James Baldwin's Image of Black Community." Negro
American Literature Forum. Vol. 4. No. 2. St. Louis University, 1970.
Tracy, Steven C. "Sonny in the Dark: Jazzing the Blues Spirit and the Gospel Truth in James
Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”." James Baldwin Review 1.1 (2015): 164-178.