Introduction
In the 1957 short story “Sonny’s Blues,” James Baldwin explores the theme of suffering, particularly African American men’s suffering in Harlem’s pre-civil rights era. He shows that even amid suffering, there is the potential for hope and healing in the context of a shared traumatic past. Baldwin expertly crafts this theme using religious symbolism, light and darkness imagery, and music as a metaphor for life.
The Suffering of African American Men in the Pre-Civil Rights Era
Use of Light
The narrator of Sonny’s Blues is a college mathematics instructor who uses the narrative to talk about his younger brother, Sonny. He expresses compassion for him, saying, “I did not want to believe that I would ever see my brother going down, coming to nothing, all that light in his face gone out, in the condition I would already see so many others” (Baldwin, 1987). The narrator claims that his brother has fallen into a pit of despair from which he has difficulty emerging.
In this excerpt from a longer work, Baldwin uses light to paint a picture of Sonny’s youthful face as he sits with churchgoers and family members following a service, evoking their sympathy for him and a sense of nostalgia for his earlier years. “When the room is filled with light, the child is filled with darkness. He knows that each time this occurs, he moves a little closer to the darkness outside,” which foreshadows Sonny’s condition throughout the past (Baldwin, 1987). As he grows older, he is exposed to the darkness outdoors.
Misery of Life in Harlem
Sonny and his brother are each looking inside and outside for redemption. In addition, the two brothers have been living in a world of misery, substance use, and captivity, and they eventually come upon a method of redemption that may cleanse them of their crimes. Even though the storyteller seems to have it all together on the outside—he is a great math teacher and the father of a happy, healthy family—he struggles with deep depression since he has always lived in Harlem. As kids, Sonny and his brother felt trapped in the sterile grandeur of hotels and apartments as they made their way to the vibrant, deadly streets (Baldwin, 1987).
Likewise, the narrator depicts his miserable condition by saying he feels stuck within Harlem and its residential complexes. His middle-class status does not exempt him from living in his little Harlem apartment and putting up with the neighborhood’s violent atmosphere. The narrator understands he has to save Sonny from despair, especially his heroin dependency, but he is unsure of the best time to do it.
The Cup of Trembling Allusion
When the narrator’s life falls apart, he feels driven to open up to his brother, whom he has not spoken to in years. Following the sad news of his mother’s passing, Sonny develops a desire to pursue a career in music. The narrator describes a glass that “glowed and shook over my brother’s head like the very cup of trembling” as Sonny played the piano on stage (Baldwin, 1987).
The “cup of trembling” alludes to biblical scriptures (Isaiah 51:17–22) and illuminates the sorrow and anxiety that gripped the inhabitants of Jerusalem. God promises to help the inhabitants of Jerusalem despite their sins. Sonny drank from the “cup of trembling,” symbolizing the misery he underwent for a very long period and bringing him much nearer to his salvation, similar to what inhabitants of Jerusalem did when they experienced God’s wrath.
The Biblical passages also give the perception that Sonny overcame his drug problem and is a successful musician. Sonny’s failure to live up to the narrator’s high standards will no longer prompt him to try to ‘control his behavior. In this sense, it is reasonable to state that Sonny has been “liberated” and given his independence. Consequently, Baldwin incorporates the biblical notion of brotherly love into the story.
Symbolism of Harlem
Towards the story’s conclusion, the storyteller and Sonny reconcile in a powerful way when the former accepts the latter’s invitation to a piano concert. Everyone enjoyed the beautiful music but “did not believe in the holiness of the three sisters and the brother”; therefore, it did not affect them (Baldwin, 1987). Sonny and his elder brother endured problematic lives in the city of Harlem, as it is an area rife with problems related to substance abuse and alcoholism, as well as poverty, criminal activity, and imprisonment. Sonny is emotionally saddened and yearns for freedom, although he is physically incarcerated due to his heroin trafficking.
Similarly, the narrator has the impression that he is being held captive in his house in Harlem, and he describes it as a location from where people have to fight to get away. In other words, Harlem symbolizes the protagonists’ despair and suffering, hence their fight to escape. Sonny’s story parallels the biblical parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11–32) because he, too, has lived a life of immorality through reckless behavior before deciding to turn his life around and get sober.
Blues
The blues is a musical motif covered in the entirety of Sonny’s Blues. Bebop is a relatively new jazz style, and the term strongly implies that Sonny performs it. Sonny looks up to Charlie Parker because he freed jazz from its conventions. Sonny, being an instrumentalist, had the rare opportunity to enjoy life without restrictions and produce an original musical composition thanks to the protection of his right to free speech.
Many people at the time believed drug use was a serious problem among the most talented artists. The fact that Charlie Parker, Sonny’s musical idol, passed away from a heroin overdose inspires him to practice the piano. The narrator notes, “Yet, there was no longer any battle in his face; I had heard what he had endured and would endure until he was laid to rest on earth” (Baldwin, 1987). For Sonny, music serves as an avenue to restoration; it helps him overcome self-destructive tendencies like his heroin dependency and allows him to express his true feelings. Therefore, Sonny’s Blues is not only a reference to a style of music; it is also a metaphor for Sonny’s journey from despair to hope.
Conclusion
Inevitably, the concept of suffering looms over “Sonny’s Blues.” Almost all characters struggle with something like loss, financial hardship, substance misuse, or a lack of opportunity. Some individuals are resigned to the inevitable pain they must endure, while others refuse to give up. Perhaps the most obvious example is the narrator and his brother, Sonny. Several techniques convey the characters’ anguish in this narrative, including symbolism, imagery, and metaphor. The author does not guarantee a simple resolution to such insurmountable pain, but he does provide indications that the weight of these never-ending cycles of anguish can be lightened.
Reference
Baldwin J. (1987). Sonny’s Blues. Klett.