Short Fiction Stories: Sonny's Blues

756 Words2 Pages

This is my first time to read “Sonny’s Blues”. I think the reason for this short fiction wrote successful is great in portray the character and story details. The author James Baldwin use great literary elements to depict the story’s develop. I want to analysis the title, plot and flashback use in this short fiction. The first thing we will do to read an article usually read the title. Also, the title may become the reason for us to start read an article. Like me, sometimes I watch a news title which is interested me then I will choose to read it. So, I think a good title will make your article become more attractive. “Sonny Blues”, this title seems have two meanings. The story about Sonny and the story about Sonny’s Blues. These two meanings are connect to each other. Sonny’s story include his life, his music, and the struggle of his inner world. Sonny’s Blues is focus on talk about his music life. When we read about the life of Sonny we may use sympathy mood to think about his encounter. He felt restricted in his teenage life and can’t have good way to adjust his struggle. In my opinion, the child which is the second one in the family may have less attention than older child. Sonny is the youngest child and he thought his parents can’t understand him very well. So he used to bury struggle in his heart and didn’t share with each other. The life of Sonny is connect with his music which I think the title combined these two things very well. It help reader to understand the story of author want to tell. During reading process, the author also write more details about his title. For example, when Sonny try to explain for his brother why he use drug and something about playing piano, but his brother don’t ... ... middle of paper ... .... He became real to me again.” (36) It seems to setting the stage for later. And he saw the younger students and they remind him to remember Sonny in that age. Another flashback like Sonny’s brother saw their mother alive in the last time. This flashback tell mother afraid of her living and no one will take care of Sonny. In Sonny’s letter he mentioned “Give my love to Isabel and the kids and I was sure sorry to hear about little Gracie.” (40) I think this sentence made narrator felt again how hard for lost family and he realized he can’t lose Sonny. And narrator decide to understand his little brother and help him. Above all, we usually have conflicting emotions for the things we don’t understand very clearly. Just like narrator thought music is the reason for Sonny used drug. Sometimes if we spend time to know the thing we may find differences or new.

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