In Sonny’s Blues, Baldwin’s use of Jazz goes beyond entertainment, symbolizing identity, connection, and survival. Early in the story, Sonny expresses his desire to be a Jazz musician to his older brother, but his brother, the narrator cannot understand his thoughts. In the author’s opinion, as a black man growing up in Harlem, have limited social opportunities to begin with, and choosing the path of music was unstable and difficult to live by. For Sonny, Jazz is not only a type of music but also an expression of his own experiences and inner feelings. The narrator’s initial reaction was “It sounds very far away, it sounds impossible” which represents both his and the social society’s disapproval. Sonny’s pursuit of Jazz music expresses his inner pain and struggle, which can not be done with words alone.

Sonny took the narrator to a jazz club. There he saw Sonny playing with other musicians and how Jazz connects Sunny as well as his friends, who understand each other’s struggles through the music, creating a powerful community force where Sunny is understood, supported, and affirmed in his musical world. As Sonny plays the piano, the narrator realizes Jazz allows Sonny to express his pain. “the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph” This line reveals the narrator’s view of Jazz as a way to transform suffering into something beautiful and redemptive. Sonny uses music as a bridge to connect individuals to the public’s inner circle. Demonstrating the power of jazz to give meaning and connection in difficult hardship.

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