49 pages • 1 hour read
James BaldwinSonny's Blues
Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1957A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Literary Devices
In Medias Res
In medias res is a Latin term used to describe a story that begins in the middle of the plot’s narrative chronology. The phrase literally translates to “in the middle of things.” This was a common literary device used in ancient epic literature, such as Homer’s Odyssey. Narrative works that begin in medias res often open on key plot events before exploring the characters’ history through flashbacks.
In “Sonny’s Blues” Baldwin uses this technique to draw the reader into the story and build suspense. The story begins with the narrator simply stating “I read about it in the paper” and describing his ensuing shock, without explaining what “it” refers to (17). After a few paragraphs, the narrator explains that what shocked him was reading about Sonny getting arrested for heroin possession. However, the reader does not learn that Sonny is the narrator’s brother until several pages later, when the narrator has a conversation with Sonny’s friend. The story then goes back in time to narrate the brothers’ relationship from childhood to the present. Baldwin’s usage of in medias res recreates the shock that the narrator experiences upon hearing of Sonny’s arrest. In a moment of shock, one is often unable to process what has happened or comprehend what is going on. Using this device, and concealing the context until the narrator processes the news, emphasizes his sense of shock and allows the reader to share that emotion.
Metaphor
Metaphor is a figure of speech that states one thing—whether a person, place, or experience—is the same as some other thing. Metaphors abound in “Sonny’s Blues”; Baldwin’s description of Harlem as a trap is one such example. Other prominent metaphors include the recurring motif of darkness to represent the psychological effects of racism, and the narrator’s description of “ice in my guts” to express his dread surrounding Sonny’s arrest (21). In “Sonny’s Blues” these metaphors—especially the trap and darkness—illustrate how systemic racism impacts individuals. Often, discussions of racism can focus on how individuals are discriminated against based on access (or lack thereof) to certain civil rights. By employing figurative language to discuss racism, Baldwin instead highlights the psychological toll systemic racism has on its victims.
Denouement
Denouement refers to the moment in a literary work where the narrative tension is resolved. The denouement in “Sonny’s Blues” comes in its last moments, when the narrator listens to Sonny’s piano solo. Prior to this moment, the story explored numerous conflicts between the narrator and Sonny throughout their lives, focusing on conversations that sparked conflict with little to no resolution. Before to the nightclub performance, Sonny and the narrator argue again about Sonny’s past drug use. While the narrator was previously hesitant to empathize with Sonny’s struggles and choices, the concert represents the moment when he finally embraces Sonny and begins to move past the pain in their relationship. While the narrator had been resistant to Sonny’s verbal descriptions of his pain, he can hear and comprehend them through Sonny’s piano playing: “I heard what he had gone through, and would continue to go through until he came to rest in earth” (47). The music unleashes a wave of emotion in the narrator, who was previously cold and unfeeling toward Sonny. The narrator sees both struggles of his parents and the “tears” of his deceased daughter, and begins to cry (48). The story ends on a note of hope, with Sonny’s music helping the narrator imagine a life of “freedom” beyond racism and poverty, even as the narrator recognizes “that the world waited outside, as hungry as a tiger” (48).
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By James Baldwin
