“Sonny’s Blues “ - Follow Your Dreams

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Recommended: Problems with racism in literature

The story “Sonny’s Blues “is about two brothers that deal with racism. In dealing with their issues they both suffer and survive in their family and community. Their stories are a strong impact on their character and how they deal with their pain. Sonny chooses a more damaging means of racism, such as drug addiction to heroin; although, he does find a better choice music! The older brother, the narrator, James Baldwin, goes to college to become a teacher, and give back to his community in Harlem. The narrator rises above the suffering and difficulties of trying to fit into the white society. Sonny and the narrator find different means in dealing with their racism.Eventhough, both brothers take different routes in their lives, and they feel at the end be true to yourself, Follow your Dreams!

Sonny tries to escape racism with his music, but his brother feels he needs a better means in providing for himself (99).He tries to get his point across to James ‘he replies that there’s no way not to suffer isn’t better than just to take it. (105) Sonny searches to find ways versus using drugs; he even goes into the service. He struggles with his suffering difficulties, and tries to escape from the ghetto, but drugs seem to be how he fits in his troubled society, so he becomes one of the society. His realistic method to his pain and suffering is dealing and using heroin; therefore, he ends up in jail. During his incarceration he begins working on his music, so when he gets out he has a career. During the time in prison, blues seems to be the music he can relate to, and it helps with his pain and suffering. Sonny realizes that music has a much better impact of his life versus his heroin addiction.Music has alwa...

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...the civil rights movement. This story has different aspects of the brothers’ lives and how they chose to cope with racism. The story also tells us how both brothers resolve their racism issues and have a relationship again. Sonny struggles in the beginning with his racism, he quits school, joins the service, gets mixed up with drugs, spends time in prison, and then finally he finds his outlet with music. He feels blues represent common black American ways in their suffering and the problems they have in the white society. Unlike Sonny though, James takes a quieter way to live in a racist world and that was his teaching. Music is what finally brings the brothers closer together, and helps them cope with racism during that period. Both brothers feel no matter what struggles we endure though life, always be true to yourself and follow your dreams.

Word Count: 1009

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