Sonny's Blues
February 27, 2018, by Anshul
Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin The success and opportunity that is an irreplaceable part of New York’s charm often makes it easy for people to forget that there is an unavoidable dark side to the city’s nature. The promise and allure that draws countless people to live in the city is often tinged with the sad tale of the countless numbers of individuals sacrificed along its streets as collateral damage. In Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin explores the story of those silenced and marginalized by the often-oppressive nature of the larger than life city around them. Furthermore, the narrative strives to highlight the various ways that these individuals struggle to be heard despite being relegated to the alleyways and backstreets. The way that the city is described in Baldwin’s text emphasizes the way that the poor and disenfranchised are ignored and left in the dark for the most part. The roads, avenues, and courtyards that the narrator and Sonny live and grow up in are described as dark, dangerous, run-down. These are all a reflection of the state of the lives of the people forced to live in these areas of the city, as they lack the necessary resources to live in much better places. It is important to note the way that this process of marginalisation is by no means a static one, as evidenced by the active role that people played in darkening the streets of the narrator’s father following the death of his own brother. The impact that this historical disenfranchisement of the poor and marginalized becomes evident in the type of voice that Baldwin describes them as having. The children in the school may laugh like any other child, but instead of being joyful, there is a sharp mocking edge to them. Similarly, one of the boys who were whistling could only do so in a way that was bird-like, reinforcing the extent of their dehumanization. Sonny, like all those beaten down by the city for their financial position, is ultimately described as quiet and unwilling to speak out. However, Baldwin’s story is one that not only seeks to explain the way that the city’s structure and make-up has managed to marginalize the groups left to rot on the edges. There are allusions to the possible ways that these people can ultimately make their voice heard. The most evident of these is through the use of the music that Sonny plays and clings on to for dear life. During his time at Isabel’s home, it is evident that the music comes to represent his entire identity and is what comes to define him as a person. Losing that ability causes him to turn to other means of expressing himself, to deal with the suffering that seems to chase after every single one of them. This is the reason he first tries to escape Harlem, joins the navy, and ultimately turns into drugs. When forced to live in the literal hell represented by the section of the city so oppressive to the neglected and unfortunate, James Baldwin discusses the way that people are forced to search for a means of expression, even if that means turning to drugs or committing suicide.