Sonnys Blues

James Baldwin’s short story “Sonny’s Blues,” is about more than just a man and his brother, Sonny. This story is about a man and his struggle overcoming the death of his daughter, the drug addiction of his brother, and the hardship he has to go through being black in Harlem. The story is about the necessity of family, the differences between art and practicality, the power of music to heal, and the importance of listening. Baldwin successfully discusses the wide range of issues through the use of catharsis, non-linear plot, and first person point of view. Baldwin takes the reader on a journey that makes this story as personal as a diary.

For this story to include catharsis, the characters must go through emotional purging, atonement for some mistake, and then the audience must have a cleansing or realization. Sonny experiences emotional purging when he stops using the piano as an escape from reality and starts using drugs. The narrator learns that he needs to listen to Sonny and learns to respect the blues and