Point whose name is unidentified in the

Point of view can contribute to a story’s overall meaning drastically or not much at all. In James Baldwin short story, “Sonny’s Blues,” it is narrated through the realistic point of view of Sonny’s older brother, as he portrays their difficulties in growing up, separation, and reunion. Through his perspective, we see the torn city of Harlem and the struggles and hurdles Sonny has and will face. The narrator is more aware of Harlem’s violent and dangerous parts. The story begins by the brother, whose name is unidentified in the story, finding out that Sonny got arrested for possession and selling drugs, specifically heroin. Being that the story is told from the brother’s perspective, we, the readers, are able to understand what he is feeling or felt at the moment.

For example, “I was scared for Sonny. He became real to me again…I felt my guts were going to come spilling out or that I was going to choke or scream” (Baldwin, p.

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49). In the quote, it is clear that Sonny’s brother is now aware of Sonny’s whereabouts and condition and is quite worried. He begins to reflect on their relationship with one another.

Although it is told later in the story, the last time the brother sees his mother they talk about Sonny, who at the time was out in the streets doing drugs. His mother tells him that he must watch out for Sonny and take care of him. He says he will, however it sounds like he is just going through the motions to make his mother feel at ease. Without this story being told in the brother’s perspective, the mention of the mother and how the father’s brother died, wouldn’t have been apart of the story.

Since the brother is speaking to the mother in such a difficult time, she was able to tell a tragedy to him, that Sonny doesn’t even know about. The last thing she says to the brother is, “You may not be able to stop nothing from happening. But you got to let him know you’s there” (Baldwin, p.57).

When she says this, the narrator does not realize the meaning until years later when his daughter dies of polio.While speaking with Sonny when they were younger, his brother asked him what he wanted to do, Sonny quickly responded, “I’m going to be a musician” (Baldwin, p.58). There wasn’t any thinking needed because he knew exactly what he wanted in life. “It seemed—beneath him, somehow… but I suppose I had always put jazz musicians in a class with what Daddy called ‘goodtime people'” (Baldwin, p.58).

Through the brother’s point of view, we get to see how unimpressed he was that Sonny wanted to be a musician. The brother never understood Sonny’s passion for blues. That’s why there was always tension between the two growing up. They never seemed to see eye-to-eye. This led to them drifting and growing further apart from each other.

However, each interaction between the two led to a small, but significant, exchange of caring which built up to an appreciation. It wasn’t until the last part of the story in the jazz bar that the brother’s point of view shifted. When he finally reached the understanding that Sonny was trying to communicate to him the whole time, he realized how careless and unsympathetic he had been throughout his life.

The new perspective the brother had achieved will no doubt change his relationship with Sonny.

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