Salvation In Sonny's Blues

In “Sonny’s Blues”, by James Baldwin, the author uses the brother’s relationship as a way to highlight suffering, and describe life before salvation. Their dynamic changes, however, when Sonny is introduced to music, as Baldwin uses music to represent redemption. At the same time, the story emphasizes that without suffering, salvation is unnecessary. The story illustrates the turmoil that precedes salvation, the effect salvation can have on people and relationships, and the dependency suffering and salvation have on each other.
The dynamic between Sonny and his brother is a flawed one. Their relationship is complicated, and this causes a lot of suffering for the two of them. This is done to show the differences in life that can exist before,
The cup of trembling is a symbol in the Bible used to represent God’s judgement and wrath that a saved person does not experience. Isaiah 51:22 says, “This is what your Sovereign LORD says, your God, who defends his people: "See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again”. The cup of trembling is filled with all the suffering that preceded salvation. In the last line of the story, the reader can observe an image of Sonny at the piano, with the cup of trembling shaking above him. This appears to be symbolism: as Sonny is playing the piano, redeeming himself, the sin is leaving him, as the cup of trembling is taking it away. By using a biblical image, the theme of salvation is made even more obvious to the audience. In this last scene of the story, it becomes clear that the brothers have had this somewhat unspoken reconciliation. While the narrator was watching Sonny and the band perform, he realizes the delicacy and elegance of the music. He understands that it has saved his brother. Sonny has changed. He has become someone with a purpose, and after the narrator realizes this, their relationship can be