"Sonny's Blues"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how, in the story "Sonny's Blues", James Baldwin uses the image of darkness quite frequently. The symbolic motif of light and darkness illustrates the painful nature of reality the two characters face as well as the power gained through it. The paper also discusses how the darkness represents the actuality of life on the streets of the community of Harlem, where there is little escape from the reality of drugs and crime. It looks at how the contrasting images of light and darkness, which serve as truth and reality, are used to depict the struggle between Sonny and the narrator in the story.

From the Paper:

"Sonny has to first start with accepting what he does not want to be true, his brother's addiction, so he can step away from denial and take a step closer to giving help. Sonny's brother must attempt to understand and make peace with his brother's drug use before he can extend his help and heart to him. Sonny has already tried talking to his brother and persuading him to get some professional help. It is hard for Sonny to see his brother like this, but he also knows that if he keeps giving him the help he needs he will soon have his brother back. A person trying to help someone in need cannot start to help them until they somewhat understand what that person is going through. Sonny is trying to understand why his brother started using drugs in the first place and he is trying to accept that so he can help him."

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