In what ways is the narrator himself a “baby?”

Question

Sonny's Blues

In what ways is the narrator himself a “baby?”

There are at least 3 times in the story where someone is trying to tell the narrator something that he doesn’t seem able or willing to hear. The narrator seems to be stuck in thinking about the potential of his “baby” brother, rather than looking at what people are trying to tell him. Look carefully at the dialogue with the unnamed friend, the conversation with the mother, and the conversation with Sonny after the mother’s funeral.

Asked by Andrew K #1118400 on 2/25/2021 4:38 PM

Last updated by Aslan on 2/25/2021 9:16 PM

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Answered by Aslan on 2/25/2021 9:16 PM

The unnamed narrator, Sonny's brother, represents one of the "two sides of the African-American experience" ("Sonny's Blues" 16). An algebra schoolteacher and dedicated husband and father, the narrator attempts to integrate himself into white society by becoming "respectable" (Ognibene 16). As a result he is disconnected from his heritage and culture. He has distanced himself from the elements of the African American experience that are dark or unsettling.

He refuses to understand the struggles of his younger brother, Sonny, whose life has been twisted by heroin abuse and a prison sentence. The narrator has an emotional epiphany when he finally listens to Sonny play music. He perceives his connection to his family, to the African American race, and even to humanity at large. Embracing this truth temporarily relieves his suffering and allows him to understand Sonny's suffering.

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