Sonny's Blues

I have to say that Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin is one of my favorite pieces of literature we have read thus far in class. I thought this story was filled with emotion, history and tragedy, and most importantly it really had me hooked. I thought that it was creative of Baldwin to have the two brothers represent the two sides of African American experiences in the 1960's; limited privileges with assimilation into society (narrator) versus pain , isolation and abuse (Sonny). It is an interesting battle for African Americans during this time period, I gathered through the reading that the narrator is viewed as less of a black person because he is trying to assimilate into the "white" culture which is seen as escaping from the suffering of his culture. I think this is sad because the narrator is trying to make a better life for himself and his family but it isn't completely accepted by his own culture. On the other hand Sonny is trying to escape the pain and suffering associated with his culture through music, which ultimately seems to destroy him simultaneously. Each character in this book seems to be running away and "escaping" from their problems. For example Sonny uses music, which then leads him to drugs and the streets and ultimately jail, Sonny's father uses alcohol to escape, Sonny's brother tries to escape using the military and later a job as a teacher. All the characters are trying to leave behind their pain and suffering only to gain more pain and suffering. Although Baldwin's book is skillfully written and an intriguing story I find it to be tragic. I understand that during this time period African Americans struggled in more ways than I can ever imagine and I think that Baldwin's Sonny's Blues truly capture the pain, suffering and struggles that many individuals underwent during this time.