“Sonny’s Blues” a short story written by James Baldwin’s has many religious implications. The last chapter of “Sonny’s Blues” is about the narrator finally being able to understand his brother, Sonny, path he has chosen in life with music. The last chapter can be an implication for a Christian ceremony, communion, which is a rite of passage. A communion is where a young person usually around the age of twelve where they are able to celebrate the “bread and blood of Jesus” with the community. Sonny in the last chapter is finally able to be part of a community that accepts him and admires him for his musical talents. The character Creole, a bass player, can be religious symbol for a priest, who guides Sonny throughout his journey. Before an individual gets confirmed, they have to attend classes with the pastor. …show more content…
The pastor guides his pupil, just like Creole is guiding Sonny. Another religious implication can be the word, “water,” which is symbolic for purification and cleansing for mind, body, and soul. Water is most commonly used in during a baptism, the religious rite of sprinkling water onto a person's forehead or of immersion in water symbolizing purification or regeneration and admission to the Christian Church. Using the word, water, implies the cleansing and leaving of Sonny’s past drug addiction life and entering into a new life. Another implication is the Jazz songs Sonny plays that can be implied as religious parables found in the New Testament in the Bible. Parables are a simple story used to illustrate a spiritual lesson. Parables are opened to many interpretations. Sonny has a way of making Jazz song unique to himself, “he began to make it his” (844). He would rewrite the notes of famous jazz songs and make it his own