Not for Long Stories

The bond of brotherhood between Sonny and our unnamed narrator is a fluid theme throughout "Sonny's Blues". Their bond has been tested throughout their lives, as their vastly different life goals and ideas caused them to all but part ways, as shown by the conversation they had in their youth where we learned that Sonny aspired to be a jazz musician while the narrator was thoroughly devoted to schoolwork. Despite the roadblocks in their paths, they end up restoring that bond, and proving to each other that both lifestyles are valid ways of making meaningful contributions to their community while staying true to themselves. The narrator's viewpoint is that of maturity and responsibility. He takes the more "socially acceptable" path by staying in school, going through college, and becoming an algebra teacher. Through his rigorous efforts, he manages to escape and avoid the hardships that most of Harlem appears to face. However, instead of leaving Harlem behin...

John from Baldwin's stories "The Rockpile" and "The Outing" and Jamie from "The Manchild" share a similar theme of isolation from their other family members despite coming from vastly different backgrounds, and demonstrates a thorough connection two characters who live, quite literally, worlds apart, as well as the different results such isolation can lead to. John is an illegitimate child born out of wedlock and lives with his step-father and half-brother in addition to his mother. Gabriel doesn't bother to hid his disgust for John, and demonstrates an abusive side when he threatens to "take a strap" to John after learning of Roy's injury. John's returned hatred for Gabriel, while well-deserved, serves as another isolating factor in John's life. As a result, John's environment has turned him into a demoralized and cautious child, which is further showcased by his interactions with Roy. His fear of the rock pile and of Roy...