Brotherhood in "Sonny's Blues": Am I My Brother's Keeper? "Sonny's Blues" James Baldwin

Since I was a small child, around two years old, I have had the privilege and sometimes the complete terror of being an older brother. This has been a rewarding experience for me, and has given me many learning opportunities and teaching opportunities in my fairly short life. Because of my experience as an older brother I was more fully able to understand and appreciate the struggles and triumphs that the two brothers in "Sonny's Blues" endured. While I have never personally had to deal with the extreme experiences and responsibilities that the narrator dealt with, I can still relate simply as an older brother myself. Throughout the short story I found myself questioning how I would deal with Sonny if he were my brother. I finally came to the conclusion that if I had dealt with Sonny, I would have probably handled him in nearly the same way as the narrator did.

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

English: Original Photograph - Victor "Sonny" Stan...

Map of Harlem

While I questioned his judgment at times, I feel that the older brother played his role well or at least to the best of his ability. Regardless of how the narrator dealt with his brother the final outcome is the most important aspect of the story, and it shows that brotherhood is capable of overcoming hardship and misunderstanding because it is so important in regard to human survival and success. The fact that brotherhood prevails over all things is an important theme, and one that rings so very true.

The first struggle that the reader is introduced to in "Sonny's Blues" is the distinct age difference between Sonny and his older brother. "The seven years' difference in our ages lay between us like a chasm. I wondered if these years would ever operate between us as a bridge." (Baldwin, 44 - hereafter referred...