Sonnys' Blues
"Sonny's Blues" is a short story about the past and the present life of two brothers set in Harlem. Sorrow and Pain are part of their lives, and the two brothers view the world surrounding them very differently. Sonny and his brother learn to deal with pain, suffering, and desire for escapism from Harlem in different ways. Sonny's brother is wishful of living a life outside of his teaching career; he wants more out of life. He knows that there must be something better in the world then what is in Harlem. The narrator tells many stories from their childhood to the time that they are grown up with the death of their parents and how the are separated, this explains their distinctness. Sonny and his brother are both in deep search for breakout from the filth and bareness of Harlem. In their own ways both characters want to retrieve some of their past to cope with what has happened, this in a way helps the narrator come to the realization of Sonny's dreams. The characters are described in the story are both desperate to find faded memories that are left behind of their childhood before the pain and misery came to their life. They were happy for a little while before the death of their parents, little Gracie and the use of
When the narrator is in the nightclub listening to his brother play, he recalls his mother, the moonlit road his uncle had died on, his wife's tears for the death of their little Gracie, and why Sonny was driven to use drugs. He responds deeply to the music and is able to find himself through his own suffering, with the help of his brothers showing him that dreams can come true only if you have the strength and courage that Sonny had. The narrator changed his perspectives about his brother and his feelings towards other members of his family. The two brothers find a common bond through the music, a bond that no one can touch. Sonny has shown the narrator that his dream has become a reality. Now that Sonny has made his brother come to a great revelation in his life, it is up to the narrator to change the things in his life that he can still change. When playing in the club, the narrator gives a vivid explanation of how everything is set up and of how all the other musicians know Sonny so well. It was as if the narrator had entered Sonny's "domain." Everyone loved Sonny at the club, almost like a father loves his son. This was an important factor where Sonny had to show courage and strength to his brother that doubted his musical skills. The narrator sees a change in the atmosphere and a change i
Some common words found in the essay are:
Harlem Sonny, Harlem Sonny's, Gracie Sonny, Sorrow Pain, Sonny's Blues, sonny narrator, support music, death parents, play music, using drugs, music narrator, harlem sonny, teaching career, narrator change, music able,
Approximate Word count = 885
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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