3.6–James Baldwin, “Sonny’s Blues”

Link to Full Text

http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/wooda/2B-HUM/Readings/Baldwin-Sonnys-Blues.pdf

Story Overview

Suffering, misunderstanding, and brotherly division are some of the most potent themes of James Baldwin’s short story “Sonny’s Blues.” Set in 1950s Harlem against a backdrop of racial inequality and decaying urban landscapes, at its core it is an examination of the strained relationship between two brothers—the narrator of the tale, and Sonny, the title character.

The story begins with the narrator, who is grappling with his own life and strained relationships, learning of Sonny’s arrest for heroin possession. Much happens as the story progresses–we learn about Sonny’s life, for instance and the death of the young child Grace. Such narrative shifts are accompanied by changes in the narrator: he becomes more reflective about his brother’s struggles, for example, as well as the jazz music that is central to his brother’s life. A pivotal passage demonstrates that newfound understanding:

Sonny’s fingers filled the air with life, his life. But that life contained so many others. It was gone into the air and had become part of the life around them. The people in the room were taking this life in, and the narrator realized that Sonny was not just playing for himself, but for all of them. The music was an expression of Sonny’s suffering and his struggle to overcome it, and the narrator finally understood and appreciated the depth of his brother’s experiences.

There seems evidence of transformation here, specifically the new “life” that replaces the former darkness  Arguably, it’s that transformation that is central to Sonny;s Blues. As Sonny plays “not just for himself, but for all of them,” we see the remarkable power of empathy and connection. Through Sonny’s playing, the narrator begins to comprehend the depth of his brother’s experiences and the cathartic role of music in his life. The story concludes with a sense of tentative hope, as the narrator gains a deeper appreciation of Sonny’s struggle and finds a way to bridge the gap between them.

Author Bio

One thing that might be useful when considering the story: Baldwin’s youth and his relationship with organized Christianity. Raised in a strict Christian environment in Harlem, Baldwin initially struggled with the rigid and often oppressive nature of organized religion. His early experiences with the church, particularly as the stepson of a Baptist minister. were marked by a sense of alienation and conflict. Notably, however, Baldwin followed in his stepfather’s footsteps: from ages 14 to 16, he worked as a street preacher in Harlem. For more on this and related dynamics in Baldwin’s life, see Biography.com, “James Baldwin.” 

Despite this, Baldwin’s writings frequently explore themes of faith, spirituality, and the search for personal meaning. He grappled with religious questions and used his experiences to critique the institutional church while also seeking a more profound understanding of spirituality. Baldwin’s later works reflect a nuanced perspective, acknowledging both the challenges and the potential for redemption and personal growth found within religious and spiritual contexts.

Also worth noting: Baldwin’s adult life and his interest in social justice: Baldwin was one of the most prominent voices in the Civil Rights movements of the 1960s. He also was gay, and semi-out at a time when to be gay was still dangerous. Note that he wrote one of the first novels to deal openly with homosexuality (Giovanni’s Room). Baldwin completed the novel while living in France (where he moved in 1948). Baldwin returned to the United States in the 1960s, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, feeling a sense of responsibility to the country of his youth.

Major Themes    

Religious Belief

Central to one reading of this story is religious thematic. When young, Baldwin worked as a street preacher, and much of his work contains religious imagery. The story’s last image (“cup of trembling” and the “glow” that the narrator sees above Sonny) could connect with religious symbolism, as does the plot trajectory of the young, innocent “Grace.” See NAME article for much more on “the fall of Grace” and regarding the suffering: arguably, the narrator seems to understand that it is music that can, for Sonny, signify a release from suffering. Note that “cup of trembling” is a loaded Biblical image, as it is a direct quote from Zechariah 12:2-3 (“Behold, I will make Jersualem a cup of trembling”  according to the King James Bible online). Below is a quote from Patricia K. Robertson’s article, “Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues: The Scapegoat Metaphor”

• The Old Testament allusion to the “cup of trembling” leads to the scapegoat metaphor and the idea of pain and suffering of a people. The New Testament story of hope is carried in Sonny’s name which suggests Christ symbolism and leads to the New Testament message of the “cup of trembling” as the cup of Gethsemane which Christ drank, symbolizing the removal of sins for all who believe and hope for eternal life through belief in home. Sonny’s name echoes this special relationship. Sonny, the scapegoat, is the hope of his particular world” (289).

Jazz Music

“The man who creates the music is hearing something else, is dealing with the roar rising from the void and imposing order on it as it hits the air,” Baldwin writes, thus emphasizing music’s ethereal, even quasi-sacred qualities. While music, in this story, has the ability to unite and heal, it has also a multi-layered dimension, one that reflects also the characters’ struggles and ultimate resiliency (esp. regarding Sonny). Through his beloved jazz and bebop, Sonny expresses his pain, his longing for freedom (think of the pivotal line that “he could help us be free, if we would listen”), and his quest for identity. As the story concludes, the music becomes a means of catharsis and communication, a means of transcending one’s circumstances and connect with others on a profound level.

Harlem

The story depicts Harlem as a backdrop of struggle, poverty, and systemic neglect. The theme of Harlem emphasizes the harsh realities faced by its residents (“rocks in the middle of a boiling sea,” as Baldwin puts it), thus highlighting issues such as economic deprivation, limited opportunities, and social marginalization. The setting underscores the characters’ challenges and the societal constraints that shape their lives. Harlem, as a place, reflects the broader social and economic struggles that impact the characters’ experiences and interactions. Through the lens of Harlem, Baldwin explores themes of despair and resilience, illustrating how the environment influences personal identity and aspirations.

Brothers/Brotherhood

In James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues,” the theme of brotherhood is central to the narrative and is explored through the relationship between the narrator (Sonny’s older brother) and Sonny himself. This theme reflects both the complexities and the potential for reconciliation in familial bonds.

Initially, the narrator struggles to understand and connect with Sonny due to their differing experiences and perspectives—especially as Sonny’s life choices and personal struggles seem foreign and troubling to him. However, as the story progresses, the narrator gains insight into Sonny’s world, particularly through Sonny’s jazz music. This understanding helps bridge the emotional and experiential gap between them.

Ultimately, the theme of brotherhood in the story is about empathy, support, and the effort to understand and appreciate each other despite differences. The narrator’s growing appreciation for Sonny’s music symbolizes a deeper connection and a renewed sense of solidarity and mutual respect between the brothers. Through this evolving relationship, Baldwin illustrates how brotherhood can be a source of strength and redemption, even amidst hardship and misunderstanding.

Critical Context

A significant amount scholarship has focused on the relationship between the brothers. James Takach finds references to Cain and Abel in the brother’s relationship, as well as the Prodigal Son. Eva Kowalska, on the other hand, argues that “empathy” is the foremost characteristic of the story. Other approaches including looking at the story’s setting–Harlem–and its cultural import as well as considering Sonny’s music (most frequently, jazz, belop, and blues) and both that music’s form (often free-flowing) and its relationship to African American tradition and history. Below is a smattering of the specific articles/book chapters on Baldwin’s text.

Specifics articles/chapters:

Naughton, Gerald David. “‘The Whole Root is Somewhere in the Music: Jazz, Soul, and Literary Influence in James Baldwin and Caryl Phillips.” Ariel, vol. 44, iss. 2-3, Apr/Jul 2013, pp. 113-139. DOI:10.1353/ari.2013.0020

Article thesis (re: Baldwin and “Sonny’s Blues”)

“Sonny’s Blues” traces a trajectory from familial fragmentation and generational misunderstanding to mutual recognition based on family, vocation, and tradition, and it frames this narrative through musical discourse. At one point in Baldwin’s story, we are told that living with Sonny “wasn’t like living with a person at all, it was like living with sound” (126). We are also told that the sound of Sonny’s music “didn’t make any sense” to the rest of the house. To his brother, “his music seemed to be merely an excuse for the life he led. It sounded just that weird and disordered” (127). It is precisely this supposed “disorder” that the story strives to unravel.

Sherard, Tracey. “Sonny’s Bebop: ‘Sonny’s Blues’ as Intracultural Critique.” African American Review, vol. 32, no. 4, 1998, pp. 691-705.

Thesis paragraph:

“Sonny’s Blues” deals not only thematically with the crossroads between the blues and jazz, but addresses the need for a new form of cultural narrative as a repository for the experiences of African Americans. When the narrator comes to understand his brother Sonny through the latter’s apparent struggle to strike out into the deep, unexplored waters of jazz improvisation, the metanarrative quality of jazz is foregrounded; the “blues” Sonny plays are a commentary on the historical context and function of the blues Baldwin suggests are inadequate to convey the “sad stories” of urban Harlem. The narrator is only really able to listen, however, after experiencing the loss of his daughter and after observing Sonny enjoy the singing voice of a woman at a street revival meeting-despite the “terrible song”-and hearing from his mother the narrative of “darkness” traditionally related through the blues but transformed by Sonny into Bebop, a form of jazz that both embraces and critiques that very narrative.

Kowalska, Eva. “Sonny’s Blues and Empathy.” Literator, vol. 36, no. 1, 2015. DOI: 10.4102/lit.v36i1.1148

Article abstract:

This article uses a discussion of Baldwin’s short story ‘Sonny’s blues’ as a means of exploring reading and approaches to drug literature. It considers the possibility of understanding Baldwin’s fictional text as a statement on reading social as well as subjective ‘problems’ as universal across contexts. Using conclusions gleaned from a detailed reading of the primary text, as well as the contributions of others to the field, it argues for the importance of reading, as audience and as scholars, with the capacity to allow for the transformation of problematic subjective experience such as drug addiction into artistic expression with value beyond its initial context.

Tackach, James. “The Biblical Foundation of Sonny’s Blues.” Renascence, vol. 52, no. 2, 2017, pp. 109-118, 133.

Article Abstract:

[…] no critical analysis of “Sonny’s Blues” has identified the two main biblical texts that form the foundation of Baldwin’s story: the Cain and Abel story from the Book of Genesis and the parable of the Prodigal Son from Luke’s gospel. Considering Baldwin’s personal experiences in the Christian church – which are discussed in the standard biographies of Baldwin and generally noted in Baldwin criticism – and the vital role that religion has played in African American letters, it seems puzzling that critics have not discussed the biblical foundation of a key Baldwin text such as “Sonny’s Blues.”

Bonus Content: James Baldwin and Harlem (Video)

Here’s a useful video on “James Baldwin and Harlem.” While there is lots of good stuff here (Baldwin on his father, for instance, and on his early love for books and reading, Baldwin’s words at approximately two minutes in (“there was something in him which could not bend, it could only be broken”) seem to address issues similar to Sonny’s. Enjoy!