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Submitted by Valgraav on January 6, 2006
Category: English
Words: 843 | Pages: 4
Views: 359
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James’s Blues
At first when you read “Sonny’s Blues”, you may think it is just a piece of fiction by James Baldwin. But after reviewing his biography, I think it may have more purpose than that. The similarities between the fiction he wrote and the life he lived become clear. James Baldwin’s work “Sonny’s Blues” was his catharsis.
Of the similarities between the story and his life, the one that is most apparent is among the character Sonny and Baldwin himself. Many example of this are apparent in the story. The most evident resemblance is their relationships with their fathers. James was an obedient and intelligent child that was not appreciated by his stepfather. His stepfather never acknowledged his talents and because of that, James felt as though he was an outsider. In the story, it is said that Sonny and his father “never got on too well”.
The reasoning of why James father didn’t show his appreciation is unknown, but James documents why sonny and his father have their problems. Sonny is said to be “the apple of his fathers’ eye”. The reason they would fight is most likely that his (Sonny’s) father wanted the best for his son, while Sonny wanted to follow his heart. I think James included this information in the story not only to give more depth to the Sonny character, but to rationalize his own stepfathers’ treatment of him. James thought of himself as Ishmael, from genesis 21. The story of Ishmael is about God’s preference of one child over another. This was an underlying theme in many of Baldwins’ stories. Sonny’s father apparently didn’t have the issues he had with Sonny that he did with the narrator. I assume the same is true with Baldwins’ other children and him.
The narrator of Sonny’s Blues could be another depiction of his stepfather. The narrator keeps his feelings and concerns internal, almost seeming afraid to express them. He is a caring father and husband with a job as a math. Baldwin’s stepfather was a...
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