When he was younger his older brother didn’t approve of the idea of becoming a musician, which lead to Sonny’s drug addiction. However, the brother changes his mind when he sees Sonny play on stage and decides to support Sonny’s dream of becoming a musician. The main idea of this story is that not supporting a loved one’s dreams can lead to a life somebody’s loved one doesn’t enjoy or regrets. This paper will talk about the use of language in “Sonny’s Blues” and how it helps develop the main idea.
Inner Conflict The nature of an inner conflict can vary from culture to culture, but one aspect that we can all agree on, is that inner conflict is the emotional and mental battle one has with him/herself. Whether it be an ethical or moral dilemma, it is the tiresome and difficult struggle one has to face when battling his problems, queries and insecurities. The main purpose of inner conflict in the novel Catcher in the Rye, is to reveal to the audience Holden's insecurities and doubts he faces with himself and the complexity and harshness of the adult world. Firstly, Holden struggles to let go of the past and move on from his brother's death. In addition, he is extremely afraid of commitment, attachment and intimacy with the opposite sex and lastly, he has trouble
He knows he has loyalty to Sonny, yet it takes him a while to get over his suspicion and give himself to offering Sonny his support, He’s upset that Sonny has picked a life that is not the same as his own, and doesn’t understand his brother and his views, they both don’t see eye to eye. He accuses the music for driving Sonny to heroin, and he tells Sonny how furious he is that Sonny appears to end his life by being someone who is addicted to the wrong things. Sonny gets upset that his brother is failing to reach out to him after his capture, for not accepting that individuals have typical methods for managing things, and for not understanding that being an artist isn't what altered Sonny into being a drug addict. Towards the ending of the story the narrator ends up seeing his brother play piano at a nightclub and it appears that he at last recognizes how gifted his brother is. However, most importantly, he additionally appears to see that music is a piece of Sonny.
Heroin was a more destructive way to control the suffering, but Sonny found he could control suffering with music instead. When Sonny played music he freed others from suffering, but only controlled his own suffering. At the end of the story Sonny invites the narrator to see him play. The bar was Sonny’s “kingdom” (43). The narrator was confused on why everyone was obsessed with Sonny’s music.
Sonny’s blues uses light and darkness symbolism to elucidate on the painfulness of reality and the vigor gotten through it. Darkness is the fact that life in Harlem is dreadful, clouded with drugs, crime and societal discrimination. The tenacious society coaxes youth towards a life of murkiness. Sonny gets addicted to heroin while trying to unchain his musical innovativeness. He used music as his edifice, in this book he tries to escape towards the light and a life with thought drugs.
Harlem was not a friendly, rich, white town, so the fact that he chose this setting it made the reader automatically assume that these brothers did not grow up in a stable environment. The narrator described the very stereotypical gang members in Harlem being “filled with rage” and “popping off needles every time they went to the head” (Baldwin 123). Lastly, the change in the author's tone was very evident. The readers could notice when the narrator was talking about life in Harlem or Sonny’s drug abuse because it had a very bitter and cold tone. However, when Sonny was talking about his music the tone was hopeful and positive.
The narrator, who is a stable school teacher, has a hard time relating to his younger brother and the other kids from their neighborhood, who became heroin addicts. Throughout the narrator’s burdensome journey, the author’s style, the setting, and the other characters help contribute to his dynamic change,
;He then puts his head down in shame and says his suffering is a consequence of his own actions, so he can gain control over his life and the drugs offered an elusive feeling of control. As the night goes on His brother approaches us and introduces himself I can tell that sonny and his brother are very close and get along very well. He compliments his brother and says how proud he is of him. I see that look again of life satisfaction from sonny. I ask his brother why did you give sonny a glass of milk and scotch?
For all the characters, Sonny was a son who helped his family and embraced his African heritage; these features were really considered and respected. Contrary to the narrator who melted or tried to melt in the American culture in order to survive, but the turning point occurred when he lost his daughter; so he recognize the pain of the others as well as his brother that he was forgotten during years ago. Besides, thanks to his brother’s music the narrator finds redemption. The evolution of the character’s trait moves from being a selfish person to a suffering man who finally finds peace deep inside himself. The analysis of this short story reveals a narrator of an Afro-American community who wanted to be part of the white culture but in vain, because he was confronted to tragic events, such as his brother’s imprisonment at an early age for drugs’ deals.
The acceptance over Sonny’s dream not only strengthened their relationship, but also helped them gain a better understanding of each other. Overall, this piece shows that encouragement and judgement can have both positive and negative outcomes. The narrator is able to change his attitude on life, about himself and Sonny’s relationship, and most importantly Sonny’s choices by listening to the music his brother played and loved. Accepting Sonny’s blues opened the narrator’s mind to a better life with his brother because he learned that suffering and dread can be transformed to beautiful music and a loving bond between brothers that cannot be