In Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin, the author uses jazz music as a crucial sign to delve into themes like identity, community, and artistic expression. Sonny goes through many difficult and painful experiences in his life. One of the hardest times for him was being in prison. While prison was a bad experience, it also brought him closer to jazz music, which was his true passion. Before this, Sonny did not have many chances to show others, especially his brother, how much he loved music or how talented he was. But one day, the narrator went to a nightclub with him. In the nightclub, Sonny performed on the jazz piano with other musicians. The narrator was amazed and shocked by Sonny’s creativity and skill in playing jazz music. It was during this performance that the narrator finally understood why Sonny truly made for. He realized that Sonny’s real identity was that of a jazz musician.

Secondly, when Sonny expressed his feelings through jazz music at the nightclub, there was a bandleader named Creole. He seemed to understand how much jazz meant to Sonny and helped him express himself better through the music. When Sonny played with Creole and the other musicians, he became a part of the music community. This was a big moment for Sonny because it showed that he was not alone. By playing jazz, Sonny found a way to connect with other people who shared the same love and passion for music. Jazz became more than just music for Sonny; it became a way to communicate his feelings and build relationships with others. Through jazz, Sonny found a sense of belonging and a way to stay in touch with his true self and the people around him.

Thirdly, jazz music was not just music for Sonny; it was like a weapon he used to fight the problems in his life. When Sonny was in prison, jazz gave him hope and helped him deal with his pain. Growing up in Harlem was also very hard because there were many struggles, but music helped Sonny survive and stay strong.At the nightclub, when Sonny played jazz, he didn’t just show his talent he shared his story and feelings with everyone who was listening. Through his music, Sonny expressed his story, emotion, feelings of his life. He put all his emotions, struggles, and dreams into the music, and it touched the hearts of the people watching. Sonny didn’t sing music for himself; he also gave hope and inspiration to others, especially people who loved music like he did. His performance showed that jazz music was not just a talent but also a way to heal the pain and overcome the trauma.

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