What is the climax, falling action and resolution of "Sonny's Blues"?
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In Baldwin's poignant short story, composed in motif form, the main climax occurs after the brothers witness the singing of street preachers, and their relationship is repaired. For the brother, this is a resolution. Later, he joins Sonny at a nightclub where he plays the piano, and the brother witnesses Sonny's resolution to his inner conflicts as the music provides him solace.
It is not a customary plot line that Baldwin follows in "Sonny's Blues"; instead, drawing from his musical background as a composer for Ray Charles and others, Baldwin spins a narrative composed much as a blues song is with a recurring melody. He uses a literary motif that is repeated throughout the narrative. It is in the last of these recurring motifs that the climax occurs for Sonny while the brother's conflict is resolved after witnessing the street revival.
As with a repeated melody in music, the conflict between the brothers reaches a climactic moment after Sonny leaves and the brother finds him in Greenwich...
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