"Sonny's Blues"

"Sonny's Blues," written by James Baldwin, is another story from an author I heard about in a high school English class. James Baldwin is a famous author who writes his stories drawing from his experiences growing up in Harlem in the early 1900's. "Sonny's Blues" is about two brothers, the younger is a heroin addict, who grew up poor in the jazz era of Harlem. It tells the story of their lives from the older brother's perspective, focusing on his struggle to understand the life Sonny has chosen. If I went into more detail about the plot, I believe I would be giving too much away. There is a subtle beauty in this story that comes from accepting the younger brother's life choices along with the narrator.
While it is longer than most stories, I hope you will take the time to read a few pages. I guarantee you will not be able to stop until the end. The story is sad, hopeful, powerful, enthralling, and beautiful. The descriptions of the music that Sonny plays is especially worth the time it takes to read the story. Anybody who has ever listened to a song and had tears brought to their eyes by it will take to heart every word Baldwin pens. I have read this story over ten times now, and I continue to be moved after every reading.
I recommend this story to everyone. Like the previous story I posted, I hope you will fall in love with "Sonny's Blues," and then proceed to share it with those close to you in life.





http://moscardienglish125-2.wikispaces.com/file/view/Sonny%27s+Blues-text.pdf/154872307/Sonny%27s%20Blues-text.pdf