Sonny's Blues, James Baldwin - Michael Clark (essay date 1985)
Michael Clark (essay date 1985)
SOURCE: "James Baldwin's 'Sonny's Blues': Childhood, Light and Art," in CLA Journal, Vol. XXIX, No. 2, December, 1985, pp. 197-205.
[In the following essay, Clark analyzes Baldwin's use of light and dark imagery and the role of art in "Sonny's Blues."]
"Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin is a sensitive story about the reconciliation of two brothers, but it is much more than that. It is, in addition, an examination of the importance of the black heritage and of the central importance of music in that heritage. Finally, the story probes the central role that art must play in human existence. To examine all of these facets of human existence is a rather formidable undertaking in a short story, even in a longish short story such as this one. Baldwin not only undertakes this task, but he does it superbly. One of the central ways that Baldwin fuses all of these complex elements is by using a metaphor of childhood,...
[The entire page is 3053 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Related Topics
