James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues

An Analysis of James Baldwin 's "Sonny 's Blues" In James Baldwin 's short story "Sonny 's Blues" a young man questions his brotherly obligations after finding that his younger brother has been arrested for using drugs. In the attempt to rectify his younger brother 's behavior and life, the young man faces his own feelings for his brother and comes to terms with the life his brother Sonny lives. The developments of certain elements-plot, character, point of view, setting, symbolism-in the story help accentuate the narrator 's struggles and theme(s) of the story. One of the most important elements of this story is the setting. Taking place in the drug-plagued, poverty-stricken, and frustrated streets of Harlem in the 1950s, the setting aids any reader in understanding the obstacles and hardships the narrator and his brother faced growing up in Harlem. From the narrator 's description of the setting, we can infer that the violence, drug abuse, and indigence in the narrator 's community, Harlem, has had a deep emotional impact on him and his brother. Furthermore the setting can also be argued to have somewhat attributed to Sonny 's difficulties. The point-of-view also plays a pivotal role in providing an insight into the lives of the narrator and Sonny and the environment in which they were raised. The story is told in first person by Sonny 's brother, an unnamed narrator. Although the story 's title might invoke the sense that Sonny is main character, making the narrator a subordinate character, the story is as much about the narrator as it is about Sonny.Through the narrator 's perspective, we see the torn city of Harlem and the hurdles that Sonny has faced and will face. The narrator is more aware of Harlem 's dangerous and violent side. In numerous instances, he describes the poverty and crime that are rampant in the community. More importantly, the narrator 's point-of-view enhances the emphasis on the relationship between him and his brother.