Light And Darkness In Sonny's Blues

Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin

Baldwin’s mode of employing light and darkness as well as other aspects like jazz evident in his account has adequately unveiled awful experiences faced by Harlem residents as well as serious intricacies between Sonny and his brother. For instance, darkness denotes how numerous social predicaments haunt not only residents but also these two bothers to the extent narrator at one time revealing he does not understand Sonny well, hence lack of true brotherly friendship. This is tension besides other woes that include segregation. Conversely, light in the case despite signifying warm and optimism in the face of Sonny contradicts what he later ends up becoming; thus extended by Jazz career (Baldwin 137). Therefore,

this essay seeks to provide analytical view of how Baldwin has adroitly utilized dark and light, jazz and Harlem in unveiling relationship complexities of the account narrator and his brother Sonny as well as advancing the account’s core theme.
The element of jazz in this account reveals how Sonny and the narrator despite being brother are quite apart when relating with each to the extent respective ideas are quite divergent.

This is quite evident after the demise of their mother whereby the narrator intends to know as the eldest brother what Sonny intends to do in life before returning to war. He contends, “I’m going to be a musician (Baldwin 133).” This does not go well with the narrator who deems other people can embrace that life’s path but not his brother, hence brewing a discrepancy and misunderstanding amid them. It is through Sonny’s choice of pursuing jazz that unveils numerous flaws that characterizes their relationship with the narrator who insist of him completing the school first but eventually admits reluctantly. The extent of confusion and misunderstanding his Sonny is evident how the narrator can hardly imagine him in life he will be hanging in nightclubs in the company of others whom he refers as “good-time-people” (Baldwin 134). Probably, it is Sonny’s choice of jazz career that leads to long durations of silence among them without keeping in touch because the narrator feels his younger brother opted to embracing wrong life. In addition, the instilled notion of how reckless “good-time-people” (134) were by his father yielded to him fighting with Sonny for leading a loose life (Baldwin

138).
In addition, Harlem in this account the narrator paints it as a deplorable place characterized by utter paucity as well as inhabited by the segregated, confirms poor relationship amid the two brothers. The younger one does not like the settings which he has all along grew experiencing apparent in Sonny retorting, “And I am sick of the stink of these garbage cans! (Baldwin 137).” This statement angers the narrator who ends up retaliating a bit physical with the intention to compel Sonny into accepting to stay at Harlem who reluctantly admits so that he may complete education. However, he does not manage to do so because after his tricks unveiled by Isabela’s mother that all along has not been attending to school opts to join navy (Baldwin 138).
The usage of both light and dark in this case encompasses exposing the extent of tension among the Harlem residents. For instance, dark denotes both personal and social predicaments whereby the latter besides deplorable settings of Harlem, they experience segregation. This is quite evident with running over of the narrator’s uncle while was still young such that in the time he learns of the incidence from the mother no justice has ever occurred (Baldwin 138). Baldwin in regards to this incidence emphatically through the narrator’s flashback expounds how the father could not manage to forget how Sonny’s uncle died by intentionally being run over by a car (Baldwin 132). Conversely, light in this account explicitly its usage encompasses signifying warmth, optimism and hope whereby at the onset of the narration Baldwin reflects these elements on Sonny’s youthful face (Baldwin 123). In addition, light signifies spiritual undertone, which implies adopting life of grace after salvation bestowed on those who have resolved to embrace moral life. Consequently, these elements constitute the core aspects that link various aspects and scenes of the entire account in a way they assume a chronological order into the characters accepting the settings they are in. since, they are unable to change them whereby sufferings appear as cyclic in the two generations.
Conclusion
The usage of dark, light, jazz and Harlem elements in Baldwin’s account has successfully managed to relay varied aspects including Sonny and narrator’s flawed relationship, thus ensuring adequate development of the theme. Dark and light connote to two contrasting experiences whereby the latter encompasses hope, optimism, and religious piety, which is contrary to dark denoting segregation as well as sufferings. The extent of flawed brotherly relationship in this account its depiction is by Harlem and jazz, which Baldwin uses to draw intense arguments among the two brothers. This is to the extent of even fighting thus advancing the theme of acceptance of what they are experiencing and characterizes their settings.