Sonny Blues by James Baldwin

Theme: Suffering

In most  instances  reading a story  may  be a tiring  task   based  on the  inability  to  understand  the  message  that  the  author  attempts  to  deliver.  However, non literary texts helps the readers in gaining a better way of understanding concepts based on their easiness to understand and descriptive details provided. The article  by Singer Paul  that  is titled ‘’Should  this  be the  last Generation?’’ addresses  the  theme  of suffering.  After  reading the  article  my  ability  to understand  suffering  as depicted  by  Baldwin in Sonny  blues  was  increased.  In that  I was  able  to  connect  the  depiction  of suffering  from the  story  and  as   demonstrated by the  article  in a descriptive  way. The central base of sonny blues is based on the theme   of suffering.  Throughout the  story  Baldwin  makes  the emphasizes  that  suffering  can be classified as a universal  thing  that  normally  seem to  lead  to  increased  suffering.  The  effects  of  suffering  are  clearly  demonstrated  by Baldwin on several  and  distinct  life scales (Gale 3).  He  achieves  this  through  showing  the manner  in  which  suffering impacts  the life  of an individual,  the manner I which  it impacts  a general  family   from a single  generation  to  another   and how the  society  is impacted  generally (Gale 3). The reading  of the article  and the  story  impacted by  understanding  of the  theme  of suffering  by creating a thought that suffering is everywhere as it  is unending  and affects  individuals families and the society at large. Suffering is a repeat that is acquired from the previous generation which is passed to the next.

According to Singer (1) suffering is a life’s standard that is experienced by most persons if not all in the world due to the absence or presence of certain things.  Singer adds  that most individuals worry  of  reproducing  to  bring a child  to  the unending suffering  that  runs a generation after  the other (Singer 1). Suffering   has the  tendency  of creating more  suffering  as  when a certain  challenge  is overcome  fresh  desires  will pop  thus leading  to additional  struggle and the  cycle  is then bound to  be repetitive. Baldwin  makes a  story  that  was  developed  in the 1950s Harlem, a neighborhood  in New York  that  was  the  central point  for the  urban  black  lives.  This demonstrates the difficulties that await the young men in American society.  This  is  demonstrated through the  reflection  of the narrator  on the  negative  future  that  is faced  by the  students.  Despite the  strong desires  that  the  victims  holds  on  attaining higher  possibilities  they  are  forced  to compromise  with  what  they are   subjected to.  The   narrator  and  sonny are  faced  with  the  challenge of  leaving the  neighborhood  despite their increasing  desire  to  do  so.  In this  case  Baldwin  shows  suffering  to  be the  central element  that  characterizes  the  experience of  African Americans  by  portraying Harlem as  the trap  that  subjects  them to  challenges.  In that  the place  is full   of  suffering  and  violence  and  based  on the  racism  and trauma experienced  by residents  it  is impossible  of  getting  an escape (Gale 1).

Throughout the  whole  story, Baldwin,  reveals the  parallel  suffering that  occurs  in the lives of different  characters  by  affecting  them, their families  and the  society. Suffering occurs in any location thus forcing the affected persons to fight (Gale 2).  The parallel  suffering of persons  revealed  in the   story  makes an emphasizes  of the  repeats  that  exists  amid  the  suffering  from the  generation that  was  before  and the present suffering.  For instance,  the  father  of the story’s narrator  anguish  because  he watched his brother  as  he  died  without offering any  help.  This  reflects the  guilt  and  the  sorrow that  the  narrator  has  about  his  personal failure  to assist  Sonny who was  suffering  from addiction.  This creates a pessimistic perception about the generation that will follow in the family.  Despite the  fact  that  the narrator has managed  to  become a school teacher  he  is not  able  to  generate  better  chances  for his  own children. The family  lives  in a rundown  project  housing  and  based  on the  suffering  his daughter  had even  died  in much agony  due  to polio (Gale 4). He  feels and shows  his  worries  as he fears that  his sons  such as  Sonny  are  likely  to get  into drugs  since they are  being offered  in the open  in the neighborhoods  street.  This therefore makes the stronger suggestion that suffering is passed from a generation to another.

Singer made it easier to understand why some issues from the previous generations will never end.  This is simply because the some occurrence happens and their parents pass the tendency to the children and so forth.  Sonny  Blues additionally  makes the exploration  of the ways in which  the suffering  of  persons  destroys lives  and especially  because  of the lack or the  incapability  of persons to  communicate  about  their anguish (Clark 35). In that Baldwin demonstrates  on how the personal suffering  changes  and  makes  individuals  bitter , destroys relations and  also leads  the affected persons  to death,  addiction or prolonged  illnesses.  This is  directly  demonstrated  via the  narrator  who in the  first  place  seems  to  be existing  more better  as  compared to Sonny.  However,  as the  story  moves the readers  starts  to understand the degree  of the anger  held by the  narrator, fear as well as bitterness.  He appears  to  be  obsesses  with the tendency of avoiding  the  anguish that  has plagued the  family and the  community  but this  obsession  means that  he  is trapped  in a suffering  that  transforms  him  to misery. On the other  hand Sonny  has the  ability  of speaking in regard  to  how  he  suffers  but the  narrator is  overwhelmed by the  whole  suffering and this  leads him to  addiction, legal issues  and  separation from the brother  in his quest to escape (Clark 35).

In Baldwin’s perspective there  is no easy  way  of escaping  such  suffering  but  he  makes  and insight  the  burden that  is  created  by the  suffering cycles  that are repetitive from a generation  to another  can be  reduced (Clark 35).  The epiphany of the story’s narrator  at the  club is a demonstration of the  significance  of  expressing  suffering  so that  control  over  it can be taken. In addition  the  friendship  of Sonny  with  the Jazz  musicians  is a demonstration  of how relief can be  obtained through a community (Gale 4).

In conclusion, from reading the article it become apparent that suffering is passed from a generation since it is universal.  The repetitive nature of suffering occurs based on the inability of persons or families to communicate which translates to a societal issue.  From Sonny Blues the family suffers for the inner storage of issues that can be discussed to lessen the burden of the coming generation.

 

 

            Work Cited

Clark, Keith. Black Manhood in James Baldwin, Ernest J. Gaines, and August Wilson. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2004. Print.

Gale, Cengage L. Study Guide to James Baldwin 's Sonny's Blues. Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning, n.d.. Print.

Singer, Peter. Should This Be The Last Generation? 2010.  Retrieved from https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/should-this-be-the-last-generation/?_r=0