different contexts of the sonny blues by James Baldwin
The paper herein focuses on different contexts of the sonny blues by James Baldwin. It looks at how segregation, Harlem renaissance, and the song “am I blue” are used within the context and what they mean. In general, the concept of segregation is widely seen throughout the context of the story (“Sonny’s Blues Introduction | Shmoop” par.4). A closer look at the book shows how this concept is not directly showcased. For instance, throughout the story, there are several ways in which characters such as Baldwin display a high sense of federal segregation about housing policies within Harlem. There are different instantiated projects which show the highest level of discrimination among the people in the community.
The book gives different instances where suffering as a result of segregation is seen. In this book, the unknown narrator mystically discusses discrimination as something that is inherited and appreciated (“Sonny’S Blues Summary” par.2). Its explicitly are fully explained by the narrator. An example is how the narrator describes the scene of the murder by the white drunkard. With this in mind, it is clear even to the narrator that the concept of segregation is still very eminent and a real threat to the family.
Harlem renaissance is another concept highly elucidated throughout the narrative. Hat the start, the unknown narrator lives in Harlem. The ideal culture of Harlem was that of racial oppression. For instance, Baldwin’s neighborhood was notorious in creating avenues through racial processes that are advocated for (“Sparknotes: Sonny’S Blues: Plot Overview” par.3). Blacks within the northern part of Harlem suffered from inequality. It led to a lack of amenities, such as health and education.
Also, life in Harlem was not easy. It became essential that groupings be formed to reduce the rate of racial affiliations. It was necessary to devise a viable escape plan (“Sonny’S Blues Themes” par.4). It is through this plan that the narrator and his brother successfully escape from racial oppression. Besides, cultural revival became the central area of concern within the context of the book. After all, it is in Harlem that the song of the blues is written.
The song I am blue as being utilized in the book to depict various issues, as seen throughout the different story structures. Remarkably, the narrator eliminates how music is written in the style of blues and jazz in Harlem (“Sonny’S Blues | Encyclopedia.Com” par.2). The ideal concept behind this illuminates the different challenges and struggles that African Americans went through. Various themes are discussed herein, such as racial segregation, as well as oppression. A correlation is made throughout the song on past and present experiences of African Americans. Interestingly, it is crucial to understand that the earliest roots originated from west Africa.
The song has a significant influence and impact on how the song was structured to address the issues experienced in Harlem at that time. Besides, it was a perfect way of enumerating communicating different ideas and messages to the people. The circumstances surrounding the life of African American in Harlem was clearly illustrated in the song (“Sonny’S Blues | Encyclopedia.Com” par.6). Many would argue that it was the music for the unhappy. It is because its theme was based on sadness and, in some cases, death. It depicted a variety of suffering and cried for a lot of African American people. The concept of racism was denounced and criticized throughout the song. How the narrator elucidates various aspects of discontent is impeccable.