Sonny's Blues (the story) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sonny's Blues (the story) - Essay Example In creating the characters of Sonny’s Blue, Baldwin has used the typical old idea of the ‘good and bad’ and made the two brothers the antagonist of each other. The elder brother, who narrates the story, is a very mature and sensible person, works as a teacher and is highly protective and concerned about his younger sibling. In contrast, the younger lad, Sonny, is said to be quite immature and does have neither the courage nor the will to withstand the pressures of the society. He deliberately indulges himself in drugs and music, considering them an escape route. Despite all the efforts the elder brother makes to help him adjust rightfully in the society, Sonny still gives in to the social pressures and becomes both a drug addict and a singer. He chooses Jazz music for his songs especially because he thinks that such a type of music allows him great liberty to express out the aggression and frustration that continues to build up inside him day by day. Brotherly love, affection and concern are what make the elder brother oppose the lifestyle the younger one has adopted. His opposition and Sonny’s stubbornness ultimately results in confrontation and conflict between the two of them and finally to an end of the friendship the two shared amongst themselves. The tension is great to such extent between the two that the younger tells the elder one to consider him dead from that moment on after they end up fighting really bad one night. Sadly, the elder brother behaves as immaturely as Sonny and turns his back on him too. It is only a whole year later that the elder one hears about Sonny, that too from a newspaper which says that he has been arrested by the police officials on charges of drug addiction. He then feels guilty and blames himself for the mess his brother has got into, thinking he should not have given up on him no matter what the circumstances were. Also,