Escaping Reality Through Music 
Madeline Cremin
Spirko
15 June 2015
Assignment 2
Escaping Reality through Music
There are many ways one can “escape reality” from today’s world. Whether it be through drugs, music, exercise or a change of scenery, it is important to focus on the circumstances of our lives that cause our desire to get away, or escape. Circumstances may be unique to an individual, but it is safe to say that the desire to escape reality is not. In the two stories, “Paul’s Case” and
“Sonny’s Blues,” it becomes clear that the two main characters Paul and Sonny use their love of music as a way to escape the troubles of their every day reality.
From the beginning of the stories, it is interesting to discover the circumstances that fuel each characters need for music. Both characters come from a troubled past; difficulty in school, failure to fit in and feelings of self-consciousness. Sonny, who most recently deals with a heroin addiction and drug trafficking charges, was known by others a morally good kid. “He always was a good boy,” his brother said, “he hadn’t ever turn disrespectful or evil like the other kids can, so easily.”Sonny felt hopeless when it came to school, claiming he wasn’t learning what he needed to use in the real world. His depression also involved feelings of negligence, living with his step sister’s family. When addressed by his older brother, he explains his reasoning for trying heroin.
“Heroin is a way to try not to suffer, a way to take control of inner chaos and to find shelter from outer suffering.” While abstaining from heroin, he turns to music to find this shelter. As he expresses his plans of being a musician to his brother, his brother is skeptical, not realizing the
value of music in his brother’s life. Sonny was fascinated with a form of Jazz he could relate too.
Aside from prior forms of Jazz, this type of Jazz was spontaneous and unpredictable, with players responding from the notes of others. For people like Sunny that were unable to fit into
the
Spirko
15 June 2015
Assignment 2
Escaping Reality through Music
There are many ways one can “escape reality” from today’s world. Whether it be through drugs, music, exercise or a change of scenery, it is important to focus on the circumstances of our lives that cause our desire to get away, or escape. Circumstances may be unique to an individual, but it is safe to say that the desire to escape reality is not. In the two stories, “Paul’s Case” and
“Sonny’s Blues,” it becomes clear that the two main characters Paul and Sonny use their love of music as a way to escape the troubles of their every day reality.
From the beginning of the stories, it is interesting to discover the circumstances that fuel each characters need for music. Both characters come from a troubled past; difficulty in school, failure to fit in and feelings of self-consciousness. Sonny, who most recently deals with a heroin addiction and drug trafficking charges, was known by others a morally good kid. “He always was a good boy,” his brother said, “he hadn’t ever turn disrespectful or evil like the other kids can, so easily.”Sonny felt hopeless when it came to school, claiming he wasn’t learning what he needed to use in the real world. His depression also involved feelings of negligence, living with his step sister’s family. When addressed by his older brother, he explains his reasoning for trying heroin.
“Heroin is a way to try not to suffer, a way to take control of inner chaos and to find shelter from outer suffering.” While abstaining from heroin, he turns to music to find this shelter. As he expresses his plans of being a musician to his brother, his brother is skeptical, not realizing the
value of music in his brother’s life. Sonny was fascinated with a form of Jazz he could relate too.
Aside from prior forms of Jazz, this type of Jazz was spontaneous and unpredictable, with players responding from the notes of others. For people like Sunny that were unable to fit into
the