Review of ‘Sonny’s Blues’ by James Balwin
The first person narrative was invoked by the Author. The main character’s point of view was that of a man trying to understand his brother, “Sonny”. I thought the writer used the dual dynamic of two brothers struggling against each other, and then the evils of drug addiction. The eternal struggle, which brother is good, which one the “bad seed”. then as adults, the wider world tempts them with the ills of heroin on the streets. Many a good person succumbs to the slightest of devilish temptations.
The brother portrayed as the protagonist had internal conflict of his own (not so happy), he had an instinct to survive on his own in Harlem as a young man. He was afraid his brother would fall prey to the hazards of the streets. Later on when he went through the trauma of losing his daughter, one change the character had was a realization the family does matter, so he tries once again to reach his brother Sonny. However, the same old skepticism begins to creep into the brother’s relationship again, until on night at a club when the brothers reconcile their differences and just enjoy the evening together, peacefully with no tensions or squabbles.
Sonny is finally able to begin to shine as a man in his own right and his brother finally begins to accept people and things the way they are. Sonny is apparently sober enough to begin to play his music again, he may have finally learned to stay clean and begin to enjoy the finer things in life once again. The brother then realizes he can let up on trying to force Sonny to shun music, he thought the music scene was too tempting with drugs for Sonny. The streets of most urban environments today are afflicted by the same social stagnation mentioned in the story regarding the problems of New York and Harlem in the 1950’s. I think that is why this story still remains relevant to Our lives.
The Blues traditionally sings to the heart aches and disappointments in life We all share. Sonny definitely wanted to be a musician, but like many before he may have gone down the wrong path searching for the limelight. He then discovers in time, all it took was making a U-turn in his life. Because in order to chase Your dreams, Your mind must seek clarity.
I think the Author’s theme was family bonds of love are stronger than personal wants and desires. To receive is blessed, to give divine …
Summary:
I tend to agree with the assessment that the main character did indeed have internal doubts that needed to be address before he could make progress in healing the relationship with his brother Sonny.
The main character was trying to understand his brother, “Sonny”. I thought the writer used the dynamic of two brothers struggling to understand each other, and then the evils of drug addiction that was invading their community to illustrate the paradoxes of urban life. An eternal struggle, which brother is good, which one the “bad seed”. Then as adults, the wider world tempts them with the ills of heroin on the streets. Many a good person succumbs to the slightest of devilish temptations. But who was the narrator really the most concerned about protecting, Sonny or himself?
Many times during the reading, I noted an air of contempt as if Sonny had taken the easy way out, paraphrasing the attitude of the narrator, "(Sonny) rolls over, don't work hard, enjoy easy times even if life on the streets was living like a bum....". But perhaps pinned up internal feelings of self doubt on the narrator's part lead to him lashing out at Sonny for not being 'strong' enough to resist the pressures of Harlem.
The narrator had chosen to tow the hard line, college, no drugs and a monk like existence. Maybe the pressures to succeed are just as corrosive as the pressures are to not fail. The brothers seem to represent both sides of this debate. I noticed the main character was uncomfortable with his culture, as he automatically assumed the worst of his brother, the neighborhood environment and even doubted the mother when she asked him to give Sonny a second chance.
Perhaps the death of his daughter finally made the narrator look at others as they wanted to be looked at, not just judged by some arbitrary standard. How could one continue to rigidly hold everyone accountable for being so perfect? Death has a way of sobering Your outlook. Sometimes, the catharsis is a blessing in disguise. The narrator may have lost his child, but he was able to rectify his relationship with his brother Sonny, who might have been lost forever if the narrator had not been shocked out of his shell.
The Blues traditionally sings to the heart aches and disappointments in life We all share.
I think the Author’s theme was family bonds of love are stronger than personal wants and desires. The narrator discovers once He accept his brother Sonny for himself and not a perfect image, he soon finds out he can drop the façade of the prefect brother and accept himself as is, human flaws included.
The streets of most urban environments today are afflicted by the same social stagnation mentioned in the story of Harlem in the 1950’s. I think that is why this story still remains so relevant to Our lives.
More about Sonny’s Blues
Which point of view does the author choose? First person, narrative.
What advantages? It had a good angle as far as the Brothers feelings being expressed in a full spectrum of emotions.
And limitations? It only showed one side in depth, that of the one brother. The opinions and desires of the mother and Sonny were only mildly covered, until it was all nicely wrapped up at the end, because by then the reader fully understands each characters goals much better.
If it had been written from another point of view, what would CHANGE? Yes, because the brothers skepticism in the beginning and middle kept the real ending masked
what would be lost? The brother, with his shock and skepticism, then swelling pride as he realizes he had misunderstood Sonny.
Does the author CHANGE the point of view at important moments (the ending, say)? Absolutely, At first, the brother tries to understand Sonny, then slowly concludes he is a lost cause.
If so, WHY the change? But finally at the end of the story, he give Sonny an honest chance to express himself, and the brother is rewarded with the knowledge of Sonny’s worth.
What insights into the WHOLE story does our analysis of point of view offer? Never give up on family, because your only giving up a piece of yourself.
© 2007 Mike W. Boitano
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