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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 3 page essay that discusses James Baldwin's short story "Sonny's Blues," which charts the course of the narrator's understanding of his brother. The story occurs prior to the Civil Rights movement when racial bigotry and injustice in American culture was at its zenith. Two African American brothers react to this climate in different ways. The narrator reacts by embracing mainstream values and becomes a teacher. His brother Sonny is not so pragmatic, as he has the heart and soul of musician. When Sonny is arrested for heroin possession, the entire situation is beyond his comprehension. However, over the course of the story, the narrator comes to understand his brother and appreciate his art, realizing that family ties are one of the things that make the hard times bearable. No additional sources cited.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khsonbl3.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
injustice in American culture was at its zenith. Two African American brothers react to this climate in different ways. The narrator reacts by embracing mainstream values and becomes a teacher.
His brother Sonny is not so pragmatic, as he has the heart and soul of musician. When Sonny is arrested for heroin possession, the entire situation is beyond his comprehension.
However, over the course of the story, the narrator comes to understand his brother and appreciate his art, realizing that family ties are one of the things that make the
hard times bearable. When the narrator first reads of Sonnys arrest in the newspaper, he cannot believe it. It does not fit with his perception of reality. He says
that Sonny was "wild, but he wasnt crazy. And hed always been a good boy" (Baldwin 103). It is simply beyond the narrators comprehension why anyone should become involved with
drugs and he does not contact his brother while he is in prison until the narrators little girl dies. As the narrator says later in the story, "My trouble made
his real" (Baldwin 127). This begins a slow process wherein the narrator comes to appreciate Sonnys reality, which includes the importance of music in his life. To the narrator,
a profession is something you chose to do to earn money. He asks Sonny if he can make a living as a musician (Baldwin 121). This is not the point
and Sonny tries to explain by saying that "I dont seem to be able to make you understand is that its the only thing I want to do" (Baldwin 121).
The narrator slowly learns what music means in the Sonnys life, as well as what his mother meant when she tried to tell him trouble in life was not a
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