Baldwin Blog Post Prompt
How does James Baldwin use the motif of jazz music to explore themes of identity, community, and the power of artistic expression in “Sonny’s Blues”? (300 words, use at least three examples from the story)
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Rakesh Ramsaywack
In Baldwin’s “Sonny Blue,” jazz music is used as a motif to examine the themes of identity, community, and the role of artistic expression in passing across specific messages. The author uses a jazz musician not only to demonstrate the pertinent challenges of a person but also the occurrences in a community that seeks to rely on art to redeem itself.
First, jazz is portrayed as a musical form that also represents Sonny’s inner self and identity, including the struggles that he undergoes. All along the story, Sonny is synonymous with jazz, which is connected to his desire to establish his identity in the midst of all the suffering. For instance, he emphasizes that “I want to play with jazz musicians” (Baldwin 12). This affirms his commitment to identify or associate with those who have artistically expressed themselves using jazz as an identity. Here, jazz is seen to connect a larger community, which Sonny seeks to enjoy in its experiences and belong to. The example of the playing of jazz in the nightclub by Sonny and other musicians demonstrates how the playing of jazz creates a sense of community among them (Baldwin 22). The playing and listening of jazz present an occasion when these people identify with each other or enjoy communal solidarity.
Additionally, the motif of jazz shows the power of artistic expression by Sonny and his community. The artists transform their pain and suffering by playing jazz, especially when they are pained or search for meaning to many issues affecting them. An example of this is when the Creoles in the story remind them that they were playing blues, which is also associated with jazz (Baldwin 24). Conclusively, whenever jazz music is played, these artists know that they are using it to demonstrate their feelings to society. It may be about their happiness or sadness, as long as they artistically represent how they feel or think.
Work Cited
Baldwin, James. “Sonny’s Blues.” 1-25
Manuel Carreon (He/him)
When exploring the theme of identity in Sonny blues by “James Baldwin” were able to see just how much of a impact jazz music has on Sonny. With this we start to see just how much jazz is apart of Sonnys identity. Sonny defines jazz as more than just music , its a way for him to express himself and as he implies in the story, a way to alleviate the pain and sorrow he feels. He then reinforces the idea that jazz is a part of his identity through the conversation he has about his brother and his future where he’s adamant about becoming a musician.
The theme of community is best explored between interactions of the narrator and his brother (sonny). Between the interactions of the two regarding jazz we see how at first the Narrator wasn’t too happy about sonny deciding to focus on jazz. He was unsure about the route his brother wanted to take. Things changed when the narrator heard his brother play for the very first time which is when his perspective changed about sonny’s choices therefore bringing them together, which shows the theme of community. “Sonny’s fingers filled the air with life, his life. But that life contained so many others.”.
The power of artistic expression is shown all throughout the story which is expected. Its best shown through Sonny’s jazz which as explained before is his way of expressing his feelings and expressions. Its a representation of himself. For example in the story it states“ Sonny’s fingers began to make it his. It was very beautiful because it wasn’t hurried and it was no longer a lament.” which was a way of Sonny expressing himself through music without any sorrow as stated in the quote. The three themes are portrayed through Sonny and the use of jazz as a extension of himself. – Manuel Carreon
Myosotis Oxios-Laureano
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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.