Sonny's Blues

Sonny’s blues tells an intriguing story of two African American brothers who come to understand each other through their own experiences. The story features through its two main characters the two different sides of the African-American experience in the 1950s. The storyteller has integrated himself into the white society as best he can but he still feel’s like he does not belong. He still feel’s the sting of racism and the limits imposed on him because of his color. He is aggravated that he cannot be who he wants to be just because he his black. But his brother, Sonny, never tried to integrate himself into white society and this caused him to have to find an outlet for his pain and suffering that his permanent status of being inferior has placed upon him. His outlet turned out to be music; especially the kind developed by other African-Americans, such as the blues. Through playing music, Sonny could loose his suffering and make it into something beautiful.

I am a history major and I am currently in a class where we are discussing the Civil Rights movement and the African-American experience in the 50s and 60s. This story is fiction but it is very true in the sense that it conveys a very real reality. Being an African-American during those times was extremely tough. All the violence that was taking place out in public with hardly any repercussions from the law. Studying the history during this time period helped me while reading this story because I could really see what the environment was where this was taking place.

I think we all have a way to deal with our hurts and sufferings. You have to find a constructive way to get things out. Some people choose crime or violence to enact suffering on others and through this they feel gratified because now someone else is suffering. Others choose more peaceful and constructive means, such as music and writing. This is how Sonny dealt with his suffering.