"Sonny's Blues," by James Baldwin.

Sonny's Blues The short story "Sonny's Blues," by James Baldwin, tells the story of two brothers who come to understand each other. More specifically, it shows, through its two main characters, Sonny and his older brother, the two sides of African-American's experience with much of racism. The narrator, Sonny's brother, has tried to assimilate to the white society, but still feel the pain and the limits on his opportunity. On the other hand, Sonny has never tried to assimilate and has to find the way out for his pain through drugs. Analyzing the plot of "Sonny's Blues," we can understand what happened, why it happened, and why characters acted the way they do. The exposition of the "Sonny's Blues" starts when the narrator introduces characters, scene, and situation of the story. The narrator learns from a newspaper that his younger brother, Sonny, has been arrested "for peddling and using heroin."

Sonny Rhodes in 2000 at JJ's Blues Club San Jose C...

[Portrait of Duke Ellington and Sonny Greer, Aquar...

English: American jazz keyboardist Sonny Phillips ...

(Baldwin 83) The narrator is a high school teacher, and his wife is Isabel. Leaving the school, the narrator comes across an old friend of Sonny's in the schoolyard. They talk about Sonny's arrest and tell each other some their fears. The friend says that he "can't much help old Sonny no more." This angers the narrator because it reminds him that he himself had give up trying to help his brother and not even seen Sonny in a year. However, he keeps in touch with Sonny again after his daughter dies. It is also the moment the narrator begins to wonder about Sonny again. The scene ends the exposition, and opens the story's rising action part. The story continues as the narrator meets Sonny after Sonny get out of prison. As Sonny's request, they take a long cab ride and recall their memories...