While reading through the short story, Sonny’s Blues, the reader can agree that it touches upon racism, heavy drug use, and the importance of amending family relationships. Throughout the story the narrator develops from an emotionally withheld stranger to a emotionally intact brother whom is ultimately able to understand his younger brother’s dependence on jazz music and the piano. Towards the end of the narrative, Sonny has also come to terms with himself and has learned to become a better, drug-free, person. He has also learned to replace heroin with his love of jazz
The Powers of Music: “Sonny’s Blues” In the short story, “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin the author depicts how a child growing up in a bad neighborhood, the loss of parents, and drug addiction to heroin can cause many harsh realities in one’s life. The main characters include the narrator, which is the unnamed older brother of Sonny, and Sonny whom has been in and out of trouble while battling addiction to heroin. However, in “Sonny’s Blues” the narrator demonstrates that music can be used as an effective way to cope with suffering. After the death of their mother the narrator is left responsible for his younger brother, Sonny; however, the only problem is that Sonny’s brother is currently enlisted in the Army thousands of miles away.
“Sonny Blues” written by James baldwin is a story written in 1957 told in first-person singular narrative style. The story begins with the narrator, who reads about his younger brother named Sonny who has been caught in a heroin bust. The narrator then goes about his day However, he cannot get his mind off Sonny. He thinks about all the boys in his class, who don’t have bright futures and are most likely doing drugs, just like Sonny. Throughout the story the unnamed narrator struggles to embrace sonny for who is, its not until the end of the story when the narrator goes to one of Sonny’s Jazz shows, where he fully understands and truly fathoms who Sonny really is as a person and musician.
During his time in jail, Berry joined a Gospel group and practiced his songwriting abilities. (Gulla 32) . After his release Berry began to get serious about his guitar playing, however he still often worked as a carpenter, took a few manufacturing jobs and trained as a hairdresser. He married Themetta Suggs, purchased their first home in St. Louis, he continued to play popular nightclubs in the area looking for his break. Berry’s friend Ira Harris taught him new guitar techniques that became the basis for the Chuck Berry sound.
Anson Funderburgh and his group have been performing since the late seventies blending a mixture of Mississippi Delta Blues with Texas funk. Sam Meyers intensified the influence of the delta blues when he joined the band in the eighties. Sam Meyers, age 63 is legally blind and a diabetic, brings a deep bluesy voice to the band that combines the basic blues progression with Texas funk to form an unique style of rhythm and blues. The group appeared not to favor any particular period as their set ranged from the basic blues AAB form to a fast paced funk, and a blues style rock. The group is comprised of: Anson Funderburgh on lead guitar.
Blues legend B.B. King is a perfect example of the music’s diversity. In addition to the original blues he has played songs with other artists in the fields of Rap, Rock and Roll and even Reggae. In the nineteen sixties a turning point in the blues themselves sparked a turning point in the nation. The
The apparent simplicity of blues music has been played with in a great number of ways along the years. If in the late 1800s, the poor African- Americans used a guitar, a harmonica and a powerful sad voice, things evolved with the adding of blowing instruments, drums and basses at the beginning of the 1900s. Blues music’s evolution was organic, it mend itself naturally to the fashion of the times to become the music that, when listened to, one immediately associates it with America, with all of its history, hardships and diversity of people and feelings. Blues music was born in the South, specifically in the Mississippi Delta, and migrated along with the poor African-Americans to the cultural and cosmopolitan city of New Orleans, Louisiana. These men were seeking for jobs on the docks of the city, trying to escape a very segregated environment where they were still being treated as slaves.
The second part will be about Luckys relationship with his parents and whether or not it was alright that they kicked him out like they did. The third and last part will be about life as an addict. ”Trash Walks” is a short story about a guy named Lucky. He’s only fifteen years old and already an addict. Because of his addiction, he is thrown out of his home by his parents.
Along with these are other themes of, drunkenness, hallucinogenics , nightmares, music and oratory. He leads the reader into cultural depths of the music, styling his novel as a jazz piece; the nameless main character in Ellison’s book, or the narrator, introduces themes that are elaborated and varied, throughout the book (Bloom 9). As a music enthusiast and a composer, jazz music played more than a vital role in his writings. “The essence of jazz is group improvisation. Its most impressive effects are achieved, according to Ellison, when a delicate balance is maintained between the individual performer and the group” (Bone 6).
When Willy arrives, he refuses to listen to Biff, which angers him. Happy tries to get Biff to lie to his father, which Biff slightly does. Willy falls into another flashback hallucination, one in which his son discovers his affair with a potential customer in Boston. From that moment on, Biff had never looked at his father the same. Back in the Lowman residence, Linda scolds her sons for abandoning her father back at the restaurant.