Baldwin, J. (2009). Sonny’s Blues. Ernst Klett Sprachen.

Summary

“Sonny’s Blues” is a story authored by James Baldwin and published in 1957. The short story takes place in the center of civil rights movements in American society. Baldwin is considered an American activist, author, and play writer. Baldwin is also known for exploring cultural and societal issues owing from his experiences as an African American in America during the period of widespread racism and segregation. “Sonny’s Blues” touches on the life of Sonny’s character who is seen to undergo emotional pain and suffering in several years as an orphan and a drug addict in a poor neighborhood of African Americans (Claborn 94). However, as the title of the story goes, music forms the center of the short story. “Sonny’s Blues” was created in an African American setting, where music was growing and was apart of the culture. Through this, the author also goes ahead to explore the underlying theme of racism, which is evident in the text. This paper will analyze and explicate the text by Baldwin through the development and depiction of the theme of music presented in the short story.