Your first step in completing this essay about James Baldwin’s story “Sonny's Blues” is to determine whether or not you think Sonny will be able to resist his heroin addiction and your reasons for thinking as you do. Let’s brainstorm some possible reasons and evidence for both sides of the argument.

First, we should note that your thesis will be a clear statement about Sonny’s chances for overcoming his addiction. You will either be arguing that it is likely that Sonny will triumph over heroin, that his chances of changing are slim, or perhaps that he will be able to overcome his addiction only under certain conditions.

Now let’s think of some reasons that could support these possible arguments. If you are arguing that Sonny will overcome his addiction, then you might discuss the effect that his time in prison has had on him. He has been clean for quite a while now. You could also talk about his reintroduction into the world of music and the deep meaning that holds for him. Pay special attention to the end of the story and how the music takes over Sonny and brings him joy.

On the other hand, though, if you are arguing that Sonny could return to his addiction, then you might talk about how he is returning to his old way of life and his old crowd, the very things that started him on heroin in the first place. You might also mention Sonny’s continuing struggles with settling into a job and a routine, which could lead to stress and a temptation to start using drugs again.

Finally, if you want to take a conditional viewpoint and argue that Sonny might return to drugs unless certain conditions are met, you could talk about how Sonny and his brother need to build a strong relationship if Sonny is to have the support he needs to stay clean.