Premium Essay

The Central Conflict In James Baldwin's Sonny

Submitted By
Words 170
Pages 1
The central conflict in this story is a conflict between on man vs. man, the narrator, and his younger brother, Sonny. The narrator struggles to understand his younger brother. The two have not had any for of communication with each other for a very long time until the narrator finds out about Sonny’s arrest. Even then the narrator does not contact his brother, but the first initial contact between the two came from Sonny when he was informed the narrator’s daughter has passed away. In the letter, Sonny writes his condolences and most importantly his feeling around his situation. This is the first glimpse the narrator has to understand his brother. After reading the letter, the narrator feels guilty. Although the central conflict is man vs.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Sonny's Blues

...Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin is a modernization of the biblical account of Cain and Able. While the text of Sonny’s Blues does not align with the story of Cain and Able verbatim, the underlying theme of being a “brother’s keeper” is central to both stories. I set out to identify the various elements involved in being a “brother’s keeper”. After reading the biblical account of Cain and Able, two sub-themes came to the forefront self-identity and responsibility. I selected the sources listed below to highlight the ways Baldwin uses the themes of identity and responsibility, and other literary mechanisms to connect Sonny’s Blues to the biblical account of Cain and Able. Byerman, Keith A. "Words And Music: Narrative Ambiguity In 'Sonny's Blues'." Studies In Short Fiction 19.4 (1982): 367. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Feb. 2013. Byerman discusses how music and words create ambiguity in Sonny’s Blues. He points out the rhythm of the wording in the text and how the narrator uses the words to communicate his ideas and as a defense mechanism when his reality is too harsh to handle. The narrator’s candid wording at times draws the reader in with understanding and intrigue. Yet, his vacillating uses of metaphors seem to shut the reader out when the details become too sensitive. Just as the narrator uses words to present his case to the reader, Sonny uses music to do the same. Both literary approaches present each character’s conflict from his own perspective...

Words: 625 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Struggle In James Baldwin's Sonny Blues

...Jazz James Baldwin’s “Sonny Blues” follows two brothers from different paths. The brothers are years apart but still face many problems of growing up and becoming a man. Deaths, wars, addictions, coming to terms with life all are portrayed in this short story. The central idea revolves around two brothers with many problems and struggles and brotherly love they have for one another. Sonny’s blues is a story about “A sense of the mysterious and inexorable limits of life, in a word, of tragedy."(Flibbert) The narrator, protagonist and sonny’s older brother is a very dynamic character. He was in the army, and now is a Math teacher raising a family in Harlem. The narrator believes “you know people can’t always do exactly what they want to...

Words: 775 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Elements of Short Story

...well-crafted short story should have two central characteristics. Firstly, it must have a strong, albeit condensed, narrative. A novel can indulge in slow plot development but the short story must immediately delve into the drama. The short story needs to progress quickly from conflict or crisis, to climax and subsequent resolution. Secondly, the short story must have an affable or at least relatable protagonist as the primary character. If the reader can recognize the ‘hero’, empathize with their plight, or emotionally connect with their journey, the short story remains intriguing. This essay, using examples from two classic short stories, illustrates how narrative and character development is intrinsic to a good short story. James Baldwin’s short story, “Sonny’s Blues”, begins with “I read it in the paper, in the subway, on my way to work. I read it, and I couldn’t believe it, and I read it again” (37). The mystery of what the narrator read immediately draws the reader in and an engrossing plot unfolds quickly. A series of recollections and flashbacks reveal the internal conflict of the narrator as he struggles with his family obligation to his drug-addicted brother. An argument between the brothers is the climactic moment as angst gives way to anger and frustration. There is almost a moment of suspense before the narrator hears Sonny play at the club for the first time. The conclusion of the short story implies a resolution of the conflict, as the narrator seems to finally understand...

Words: 544 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Investing

...THE ACCIDENTAL INVESTMENT BANKER This page intentionally left blank THE ACCIDENTAL INVESTMENT BANKER · Inside the Decade That Transformed Wall Street · JONATHAN A. KNEE 1 2006 1 Oxford University Press, Inc., publishes works that further Oxford University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education. Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Nairobi New Delhi Shanghai Taipei Toronto With offices in Argentina Austria Brazil Chile Czech Republic France Greece Guatemala Hungary Italy Japan Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Switzerland Thailand Turkey Ukraine Vietnam Copyright © 2006 by Jonathan A. Knee Published by Oxford University Press, Inc. 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 www.oup.com Oxford is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of Oxford University Press. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available ISBN-13: 978-0-19-530792-4 ISBN-10: 0-19-530792-5 1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper For Chaille Bianca and Vivienne Lael and William Grant who says he wants to be an investment banker ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As a f i r s t - t i m e au t h o r ...

Words: 114081 - Pages: 457

Premium Essay

Kuharenko

...Кухаренко В.А. Практикум з стилістики англійської мови: Підручник. – Вінниця. «Нова книга», 2000 - 160 с. CONTENTS FOREWORD...............................................................................…………………………………………... 2 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.....................................................………………………………………….. 3 CHAPTER I. PHONO-GRAPHICAL LEVEL. MORPHOLOGICAL LEVEL…............................... 13 Sound Instrumenting. Craphon. Graphical Means…………………………………………………………...6 Morphemic Repetition. Extension of Morphemic Valency………………………………………………….11 CHAPTER II. LEXICAL LEVEL..............................................……………………………………….…14 Word and its Semantic Structure…………………………………………………………………………….14 Connotational Meanings of a Word………………………………………………………………………….14 The Role of the Context in the Actualization of Meaning…………………………………………………….14 Stylistic Differentiation of the Vocabulary…………………………………………………………………..16 Literary Stratum of Words. Colloquial Words…..…………………………………………………………..16 Lexical Stylistic Devices…………………………………………………………………………………….23 Metaphor. Metonymy. Synecdoche. Play on Words. Irony. Epithet…………………………………………23 Hyperbole. Understatement. Oxymoron. ……………………………………………………………………23 CHAPTER III. SYNTACTICAL LEVEL..................................…………………………………………38 Main Characteristics of the Sentence. Syntactical SDs. Sentence Length…………………………………..38 One-Word Sentences. Sentence Structure. Punctuation. Arrangement...

Words: 57354 - Pages: 230

Premium Essay

A Book of Practice in Stylistics

...Кухаренко В. А. Практикум з стилістики англійської мови: Підручник. — Вінниця: Нова книга, 2000. — 160 с. Кухаренко Валерия Андреевна, д.ф.н., проф., кафедра лексикологии и стилистики английского языка факультетеа РГФ ОНУ им. И. И. Мечникова CONTENTS FOREWORD...............................................................................…………………………………………... 2 PRELIMINARY REMARKS.....................................................………………………………………….. 3 CHAPTER I. PHONO-GRAPHICAL LEVEL. MORPHOLOGICAL LEVEL…............................... 13 Sound Instrumenting. Graphon. Graphical Means…………………………………………………………...6 Morphemic Repetition. Extension of Morphemic Valency………………………………………………….11 CHAPTER II. LEXICAL LEVEL..............................................……………………………………….…14 Word and its Semantic Structure…………………………………………………………………………….14 Connotational Meanings of a Word………………………………………………………………………….14 The Role of the Context in the Actualization of Meaning…………………………………………………….14 Stylistic Differentiation of the Vocabulary…………………………………………………………………..16 Literary Stratum of Words. Colloquial Words…..…………………………………………………………..16 Lexical Stylistic Devices…………………………………………………………………………………….23 Metaphor. Metonymy. Synecdoche. Play on Words. Irony. Epithet…………………………………………23 Hyperbole. Understatement. Oxymoron. ……………………………………………………………………23 CHAPTER III. SYNTACTICAL LEVEL..................................…………………………………………38 Main Characteristics...

Words: 56594 - Pages: 227