Baldwin Blog Post
In “Sonny’s Blues”, written by James Baldwin, the motif of jazz music plays a central role in exploring the themes of identify, community, and the power of artistic expression. Baldwin uses jazz as a powerful symbol representing the challenges Sonny faces. The themes can reflect how Baldwin expresses himself.
Jazz music is a representation of identity. Sonny’s journey throughout the story leads him to a journey of self discovery. His younger brother plays piano, but Sonny had felt there was a competitive nature in their relationship as well. Being portrayed as a bad person in society also impacted his identity. However, his road to discovery begins when he figures out that he finds himself more in-tuned with jazz music instead of classical music. He feels as though the jazz music perfectly executes the representation of his struggles as a Black man in a cruel world. The music allows Sonny to give a voice to his pain that he cannot express by himself because society around him shuts him out.
Jazz is used as a means of community. This can be seen when Sonny is playing at a nightclub, Sonny is lost at first because he is slowly getting out of his comfort zone. Creole, who plays in the nightclub, guides Sonny through the music. This moment proves the importance of a community and building relationships within them. The help Sonny received also helped him in finding a way to communicate through the music more smoothly, helping him express his emotions.
Jazz can also be seen as artistic expression, and leading to liberation. Sonny faces many challenges, like addiction, and as one would imagine his addiction lead him into a dark place. However, when finding jazz music, Sonny is able to express his pain, and turn that pain into something more than just trauma, but turning pain into something more beautiful and meaningful. Jazz becomes an essential to his life, making his artistic expression a symbol of liberation.
In Sonny’s Blues, James Baldwin uses jazz music as a motif to explore the complexities of Sonny’s identity, a need for community, and the power of artistic expression.
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3 Comments
PORTIA KWAA
I completely agree with you on Sonny’s use of jazz as a way of expressing himself; having found himself in a society and a family that had different expectations of him, and with an identity which he found solace in.
PORTIA KWAA
I completely agree with you on Sonny’s use of jazz as a way of expressing himself; having found himself in a society and family that had different expectations of him, and with an identity which he found solace.
Gianni Coombs (he/him)
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In “Sonny’s Blues,” Baldwin uses the image of jazz music to define the themes of identity, community, and the redemptive power of art. Through Sonny’s character, Baldwin articulates that the occasion of music becomes a mainstay for African American outlines, a dedication underpinning their tribulations and life experiences. First jazz remains an essential form of self-expression for Sonny himself. The music he plays is the testimony of the turbulence and complexity which rage inside him. While playing the piano, Sonny translates all his pain and troubles into the music, creating a portrait of his multi-layered self. The moment he gets the chance to perform at the nightclub is momentous; there, Sonny’s music is a token of release. Baldwin writes, “Sonny’s fingers filled the air with a beautiful sound,” signifying that through jazz, Sonny rises above his individual sufferings and reclaims himself, revealing an inner voice that exceeds words. Secondly, the motif of jazz further highlights the communal aspect. The pain of the individual is felt together with the crowd due to Sonny’s performance. The narrator notes that, during the performance, “the music was part of them.” This establishes jazz as a connective and unifying force characterized with a sense of collective belonging in urban disadvantaged life with its share of trials. The last reason why he uses the motif of jazz music to explore themes is that Baldwin captures the redemptive power of artistic expression in jazz. The climax of Sonny’s performance reflects very unambiguously his personal path as well as offers hope to society as a whole. It embodies collective resilience and creativity, suggesting that art can indeed contribute to healing and empowerment. In realization, Baldwin attributes the jazz incantation in “Sonny’s Blues” to its power as an articulation of identity, a harbinger of community, and finally also in seeing the inviolability of the human spirit through the ages.