James Baldwins & Sonnys Enthusiasm for Playing Music Discussion

I will leave this prompt fairly open. What I would like for you to do is articulate as best as you can what stood out for you the most in “Sonny’s Blues”, and why. Was it the Harlem setting or the conflict between the two brothers, or maybe the heartache of the narrator as reflected in his tone? Maybe it was the epiphany the narrator had at the end of the story. If so, what was that epiphany and why was it so profound? What does the narrator’s epiphany and moment of insight say about reflection and redemption, transformation and personal growth? What about the first-person point-of-view? Remember, the narrator is not Sonny. If anything, the narrator goes unnamed. Why is that? Is this the narrator’s story or is it Sonny’s story? Do you note any similarities or connections to Toni Bambara’s “The Lesson”? If so, what are they? And of course, what is the larger message here? What is the lesson, the theme, the take-away? What does this master of storytelling, James Baldwin, want us to learn and know? These are just suggestions to get you started, but you’re free to pursue any line of inquiry and analysis, as well as fresh, original insight, that appeals to you the most. Try to strive for some quality writing here; nothing sloppy and last minute. And remember, these final blackboard responses are designed to cover an entire paper and the departmental exam. We can talk about “Sonny’s Blues” as much as we need to. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions.