ipl-logo

Light And Darkness In Baldwin's On The Band

187 Words1 Page

The narrator describes the nightclub as a dimmed place where it is difficult to see, whereas the darkness is symbolized as a safe haven for Sonny. The narrator tells the readers that the musicians are “careful not to step into that circle of light too suddenly: that if they moved into the light too suddenly, without thinking, they would perish in the flame” (Baldwin 115). Though the musicians started to play, the narrator claims, “…the lights on the bandstand, on the quartet, turned to a kind of indigo. Then they all looked different there” (Baldwin 116). For this purpose, “on the quartet” is emphasized as an importance to work in groups. Together the band members are making a different light that becomes accessible, instead of trying to find

Show More
Related

  • Suffering, Anger And Isolation In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

    552 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin is a short story that has many significant parts to it. The narrator gives readers insight on how his relationship with his brother was like, how his brother was suffering from a heroin addiction. The narrator also gives the readers insight on his own problems. Due to Sonny’s heroin addiction, he suffered quite a lot as what was implied in the story. The narrator implies and describes so many themes in this short story.

    Read More

  • Characterization And Symbolism In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

    692 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are multiple ways that this can be seen, through the narrator and Sonny, the artist. In the beginning, of the story it paints a picture of Sonny as “his face had been bright and open” but later states that “I couldn’t believe it: … …… all that light in his face gone out” showing that through development of character the hardships these brothers have gone through drove Sonny into doing something he regretted. Later it shows that Sonny has grown while in prison becoming reserved and quiet, the only place that the

    Read More

  • Essay Response To Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

    828 Words  | 4 Pages

    He sees that Sonny's music is a bona fide reaction to life. He sees that one who makes music is managing the thunder ascending from the void and forcing request on it as it hits the air. He comprehends that his sibling's music is an endeavor to recharge the old human story For while the story of how we endure, and how we are enchanted, and how we may triumph is never new, it generally should be

    Read More

  • The Theme Of Brotherly Love In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

    1184 Words  | 5 Pages

    Throughout the story he struggles to keep this promise. At the end of the story Sonny invites the narrator to come to a music club and hear him play, he accepts the invite. Upon arrival the narrator realizes he is in Sonny’s world. Hearing Sonny play only one set he is in awe and sends his brother a drink of scotch with milk. Sonny accepts it and gives a nod of approval to his brother across the room.

    Read More

  • Father And Son Relationships In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

    521 Words  | 3 Pages

    As a matter of fact, the storyteller does not appreciate Sonny's motivations to play jazz music until the evening he socially joins Sonny to his stage show at a nightclub. Sitting in a dark corner at the nightclub, the storyteller listens to his brother play, considering the reminder of Sonny's friend, Creole, of what the Blues are about, "The tale, of the blues, how we live, and how we are delighted, how we suffer... and how we triumph... must be heard... it's the only light we've got in all this darkness." (Baldwin 139). For the narrator, he perceives that the Blues is the manifestation for Sonny's emotions, especially his suffering, because, as Creole would say, music is the only light in the

    Read More

  • Power And Control In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

    1373 Words  | 6 Pages

    In modern-day life people often have their ups and downs of having power and losing it all. This is a key element in life, which is why many art forms choose to use it as their basis of writing. Literature often shows power and powerlessness through heroes and villains. However, author James Baldwin brings the battle of having and losing power through ordinary people’s life experiences. In the short story, Sonny’s Blues, written by James Baldwin examines the idea of how the desire to have power or control leads to having no power at all through the plot, characters, and setting.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis: Summary In Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

    1465 Words  | 6 Pages

    When the narrator accompanies Sonny to the nightclub to listen to him play his music; Sonny’s music portrays his wisdom as he plays about his brother’s frustrations with the trials and sufferings they both endured. Sonny’s artful playing of the blues opens the narrator’s heart to listen genuinely. If one listens to what lies on the inside that is the key to finding oneself. Joseph Flibbert states in the article “Sonny’s Blues” Overview, “In the music he hears, he sees his mother’s face, and that of his little girl … The powerful incantations of Sonny’s art reaches his soul, and for the first time, he listens to the dark voice within”.

    Read More

  • Sonny's Blues Symbolism

    516 Words  | 3 Pages

    Many of the characters in “Sonny’s Blues” face battles within themselves. The characters fight the battle of trying to keep the light shining inside and to not let the darkness inhabit them. “Images of light and darkness are used by Baldwin to illustrate his theme of man’s painful quest for an identity” (Murray

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Sonny's Blues

    1027 Words  | 5 Pages

    Darkness and music have given unusual prominence that emphasises the awful life in Harlem, and how music brought those two brothers together at the end of the story. Each symbol represents its own unique sign. The light used in many forms such as moonlight, spotlight, or even the light of the car. “There isn’t any other tale to tell, it’s the only light we’ve got in all this darkness” (James). Besides the fear, and despair of society in Harlem, the light seems to be glowing in the darkness, symbolizes a form of salvation and a moral life.

    Read More

  • Two Perspectives In Sonny's Blues, By George Baldwin

    1115 Words  | 5 Pages

    With “Puppy” two ladies have different perspectives on how to raise their children. Saunders delivers one informative scene from each woman’s life before permitting the women to engage. As with, “Sonny’s Blues” the narrator and Sonny go through hardships after the death of their mother. “Puppy” by George Saunders and “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin switches between two perspectives of the characters. Marie and the narrator in both of the stories essentially feel that it is not worth the trouble to help out the other two characters.

    Read More

  • Suffering In Sonny's Blues

    827 Words  | 4 Pages

    The description Baldwin uses to describe how the Sonny’s brother was hearing him play for the first time was a realization for his brother and how exactly music makes Sonny feel and how he puts in every bit of emotion into his music. His brother was now realizing how much music played an important role in Sonny’s life and how it helped him out of his

    Read More

  • Comparison Of Raisin In The Sun And Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

    1212 Words  | 5 Pages

    Clark states in his article “James Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues: Childhood, Light, and Art” that “…the narrator is seated “in a dark corner” ...in contrast the stage is dominated by light” (Clark). Clark shows by this that within the darkness that surrounds Sonny, music is a place of hope for him. Light is shown to effect Sonny in a different way than his Uncle. Light is shown to effect Sonny in a surrounding that would have been a place of comfort for him before his addiction. The narrator states, “…[they] were being careful not to step into that circle of light too suddenly…that if they moved into the light too suddenly… they would perish” (Baldwin 112).

    Read More

  • Sonny's Blues Literary Devices

    1140 Words  | 5 Pages

    In this view of the passage, the sound of music increased the cultural cohesion between people. The music lured the characters into the bar acting as a social glue. Although the narrator appeared to have no real interest in entering the bar, the inviting present of the music felt welcoming and embracing enough to enter. Social gathering continues to be demonstrated throughout the story of “Sonny’s Blue” because of the hidden messages illustrated.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Music In Sonny's Blues

    747 Words  | 3 Pages

    This particular paragraph in “Sonny’s Blues” is incredibly important to the development and resolution of the story. At this moment, the narrator is watching his brother play the piano for the first time. He is overwhelmed by the sensations he receives from the music and also gains insight on his brother’s life. The narrator realizes that music is how Sonny expresses his feelings and how he copes with the struggles of everyday life. Without this paragraph, we lose the breakthrough moment the narrator has regarding his relationship with his brother.

    Read More

  • A Critical Analysis Of Sonny's Blues By James Baldwin

    909 Words  | 4 Pages

    In James Baldwin's short story, Sonny’s Blues, the reader should understand and visualize the historical context in order to understand the world being presented. The reader has to comprehend the harsh life of a male African-American who struggles with his dreams and drug addiction sometime around early 1957. I will discuss Baldwin's writing style, the life/value of an african american's life during this time, and the relationship between Sonny and his brother. Baldwin’s short story illustrates the hardships a person faces while searching for themselves in a world full of people or obstacles that stand in their way. Some of these obstacles are self inflicted, present from the beginning of their existence or appear as though they are random.

    Read More

More about Light And Darkness In Baldwin's On The Band

Open Document