Sonny's Blues

Liberating Horse

Drugs, racism, and violence are common in the lives of young people in our society. In many cases, people turn to these vices because of a lack of strong support and communication from those who are, or should be, close to them. My optimistic view is that they mature and eventually grow out of it. I hope that our children today grow up to be successful professionals tomorrow. Some people go on to promising jobs while others get stuck behind and never make it anywhere in their lives. Sonny's Blues is a clear example of this social dysfunction. The miscommunication of two brothers, the struggle to escape a heroin addiction, the violence that can affect a person's future, and the lack of relationship and understanding with a sibling are all present dysfunctions in the story.

The Narrator has a stable job as an algebra teacher in a high school. He takes the subway to work and reads the paper. He leads a scheduled and organized life. It seems very unlikely that many things interfere with his daily routine. He has escaped the life that most of his peers were never able to. Drugs and violence were never significant occurrences in his life. However, his mother exposed him to violence by telling him about his father witnessing his own brother's unfortunate murder. This exposure may have brought about a realization that we are only mortal and anything can happen tomorrow. This lack of realization caused the protagonist to have a tense and uncomfortable relationship with his brother Sonny.

Sonny, in several ways, is the exact opposite of his brother. The only positive thing he has going for him in his life is his music. Sadly, heroin consumes a large part of his everyday life and causes him to function not as a normal citizen in society, but as an outcast. The only thing Sonny was able to escape as a boy was the city that raised him, Harlem. He made it all the way to the East Village, far enough from Harlem, where he ended up settling for drugs with his music. Distance, however, was not enough to keep poor Sonny out of trouble.

The Narrator is dynamic, changing his outlook on life and on his brother over the course of the story. At first he has no idea how to approach or even relate to his younger brother. He constantly feels uncomfortable and is not able to find a common language.

Every time they try to have a talk, there is conflict and the Narrator never really hears what Sonny has to say or what he feels. This inner conflict is made more tangible as th Narrator says to himself, "I wanted to promise that I would never fail him again. But it would have all sounded--empty words and lies." Clearly, he recognizes that he has neglected Sonny for a long time. Finally, after years of misunderstanding, Sonny breaks through to his brother. The Narrator sees the pain that Sonny is playing out through his music at the end of the story. By seeing Sonny's pain, he is also able to see and feel his own.

Sonny is also a dynamic character in the story. At first we learn how he takes the wrong road in life and does not get anything accomplished. For a good portion of the story we see Sonny, as a young kid who isn't successful at making good decisions. Finally, the part of Sonny that makes the story complete is visible. He is a man who understands life and how difficult it may be, especially when no one listens and no one cares. At the end of the story, Sonny plays the piano at the bar and is finally able to be heard. Through this seemingly small action, he changes not only his own outlook on life, but also that of his brother.

There are a number of internal and external conflicts in this story. One of the major external conflicts between the Narrator and Sonny is the miscommunication between the two brothers. Neither is really able to take the first step to reconcile their relationship. The Narrator is too worried about not understanding Sonny and does not make time