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Teresa Perez

Professor Spaventa

English 1302: Human as Spectacle

16 May 2025

From Darkness to Light: Exploring the Role of Music in “Sonny’s Blues”

For over 40,000 years, music has served as a universal language, bridging divides

between people, and in James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues,” it becomes a lifeline between two

estranged brothers. Though the story is complex, its emotional core lies in the relationship

between the narrator and his brother, Sonny. The two are not close; the narrator struggles to

understand Sonny’s choices, particularly his devotion to music. But one night, in a small jazz

club, everything shifts. As the narrator watches Sonny perform, he finally sees his brother

clearly, realizing that music isn’t just a passion for Sonny, it is his salvation. Through symbolism

and tone, Baldwin conveys both suffering and hope, showing that music is more than art: it is a

powerful form of connection and self-expression.

Baldwin portrays music as a lifeline for emotional expression and connection, especially

in moments of deep suffering. The narrator begins the story disconnected from Sonny’s world,

unable to understand why his brother turns to music rather than more “practical” paths. But in

the final scene at the jazz club, the narrator witnesses Sonny’s pain come alive through his music.

As Baldwin writes, “Sonny’s fingers filled the air with life, his life. But that life contained so

many others. And Sonny went all the way back, he really began to make it his” (Baldwin 47).
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This moment is more than just a performance, it is a release of everything Sonny has endured:

addiction, imprisonment, and isolation. The narrator finally sees music not as escape, but as

expression, a language Sonny uses to process trauma and communicate what he cannot say with

words. As one critic puts it, “Communal making of music connects Sonny with his fellow

musicians, with jazz listeners, and with his interior life” (McParland 132). This emphasizes

Baldwin’s message that music is not just art for art’s sake; it is a powerful means of survival and

a bridge between people who might otherwise remain strangers, even as family.

Furthermore, Baldwin creates a contrast between tones, blending suffering with hope.

Both the narrator and Sonny endure deep personal tragedies: the death of the narrator’s young

daughter, the loss of their father, and Sonny’s imprisonment, all while navigating a strained

relationship. These experiences are reflected in the story’s language, with words like frightened,

guilt, and helplessness capturing a tone of suffering. Yet Baldwin also weaves in words like light

and music, introducing a more hopeful tone. The recurring imagery of light and darkness

symbolizes both the harsh realities of life in Harlem and the internal battles the characters face.

As the narrator observes, “I didn't want to see my brother going down, coming to nothing, all

that light in his face gone out,” a line that captures the fear of losing Sonny to darkness (Baldwin

18). In contrast, Baldwin writes, “The darkness outside is what the old folks have been talking

about. It is what they've come from” (Baldwin 27). Here, darkness represents the ever-present

threat of despair, while light becomes a symbol for survival, connection, and love. Ultimately,

the shifting tone of the story mirrors its central idea: that even amid pain and loss, music and

brotherhood offer moments of grace and hope.

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Additionally, symbolism is seen throughout “Sonny’s Blues.” One of the first symbols I

noticed was the constant mention of ice: “It was a special kind of ice. It kept melting, sending

trickles of ice water all up and down my veins, but it never got less.” (Balwin 17). The narrator

experiences this chilling sensation when he recalls something Sonny once said or did. The ice

represents the narrator’s deep uneasiness, his guilt for not being able to help Sonny, and the

emotional distance that exists between them. Another powerful symbol is the “cup of trembling,”

which appears at the end of the story (Baldwin 48). This phrase is drawn from the Bible, where

the cup of trembling symbolizes suffering and judgment. In the story, Sonny drinking from the

cup represents the pain and trauma he has endured—addiction, isolation, and inner turmoil—but

also the possibility of redemption, healing, and emotional release through music. These symbols

reinforce the story’s tone, which is both hopeful and sorrowful. As a reader, the symbolism

helped me visualize the emotional weight each character carries and made their struggles more

real. While I haven’t experienced what Sonny has, I can relate to the ups and downs of sibling

relationships. I have six siblings myself, and I know how hard it can be to reconnect after

growing apart. As I’ve gotten older, I sometimes forget how important it is to reach out. My

siblings, who were once all under the same roof, are now spread out across the country. This

story reminded me that no matter how much time passes, it’s always worth trying to connect with

the people you love.

Growing up, especially between the ages of 16 and 18, I remember feeling like no one

else understood what I was going through, I just felt completely alone. I was sad and

unmotivated. I did not care to do schoolwork or pretty much anything that would benefit my

future. As humans, we often think we are so individual, that no one else could possibly feel what
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we are feeling, but that could not be further from the truth. Listening to music and finding songs

I could connect with was my saving grace. This ties into the central idea of the story: that music

is more than just art, it is a way for people to express themselves and feel understood. “Sonny’s

Blues” also made me reflect on my childhood. I think about songs and bands my parents loved,

the telenovela soundtracks I could probably still sing along to. Growing up in a Mexican

household, there was always music, whether it was norteños, corridos, or banda. That music will

always remind me of family parties, dancing at quinceañeras, or riding in the car with my

parents. It’s not what I listen to every day now, but it shaped who I am. Music can lift you during

hard times, but it can also remind you of where you come from and who you belong to.

In summary, “Sonny’s Blues” is a beautiful story, one that discusses the power of music

and expression alongside the complexities of brotherhood and life in Harlem, including the

impact of racism and drug addiction. The story’s tone of hope throughout all the suffering is

impactful, as is the emphasis Baldwin places on the power of music, not just as an art form, but

as a way for people to express themselves and connect. Through symbolism, he provides even

deeper meaning to those themes.

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Works Cited

Reilly, John M. “Sonny's Blues”: James Baldwin’s Image of Black Community.” Critical

Insights: James Baldwin. Oct. 2010,

https://research.ebsco.com/c/jjkmuy/search/details/lhw7mft465?q=sonny%27s+blues+.

McParland, Robert P. “To the Deep Water: James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues.” Interdisciplinary

Humanities. Fall 2006,

https://research.ebsco.com/c/jjkmuy/search/details/4ukco5xmbf?q=sonny%27s+blues+.