Music and Drugs as Escape in Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues"

Introduction: Two Brothers, One Pain

In James Baldwin's short story "Sonny's Blues," the reader is introduced to two brothers who seem very different but are in reality both suffering from their pasts and trying to mask the pain. The elder is a family man with a stable job as a teacher and a degree of financial success. He has carved a niche for himself, but does not seem to feel particularly emotional about his life. This man is neither wholly happy nor unhappy with his existence. Instead, he is seemingly devoid of emotion except for concern about those around him, such as his younger brother. Sonny, the younger brother, on the other hand, is a man completely controlled by his emotions and by his life history, which has led him to make dangerous choices. The past haunts him and the present is intolerable, so he must escape reality through some means.

Author Baldwin neither supports Sonny's decisions nor vilifies him for his choices. In order to combat his unhappiness, Sonny becomes obsessed with one diversion or another. When sober, Sonny uses music as an opiate to calm his saddened soul. James Baldwin utilizes the concepts of music and drugs in a similar way — as a means by which the character of Sonny can escape from a real life he finds intolerable — as indicated in the very title "Sonny's Blues."

Family Dysfunction and the Roots of Addiction

The roots of Sonny's problems with drugs are entirely bound up in the unaffectionate and uncaring nature of his family life. His brother and he are not closely connected, despite how much Sonny needs him. In his letter to the narrator, Sonny writes, "You don't know how much I needed to hear from you" (Baldwin 53). The two brothers have been able to communicate only intermittently throughout their adult lives because of their differing personalities and opposing priorities. This is underscored by the narrator's lack of knowledge of his brother's arrest for heroin possession — he learns of it only by reading about it in the newspaper (Reilly 56). He admits himself, "I haven't seen Sonny for over a year" (Baldwin 50).

Sonny would not go willingly to his elder brother for help because he does not feel that his brother can be relied upon for support. If this were not the case, one could argue that Sonny would logically have called his brother at the time of his incarceration. Even after learning about Sonny's legal troubles, the narrator does not make much effort to help. Instead, he writes a letter some time after the arrest — only after the death of his own little daughter (Baldwin 53). It is as though only by experiencing a profound loss does the narrator find room to allow Sonny back into his life. Even as the brothers remain emotionally disconnected, they are in fact doing the same thing: trying to escape from their pain through means other than honest emotion.

Conclusion: Filling the Void

The title "Sonny's Blues" refers on the surface to the literal music that Sonny plays — jazz and especially the blues. However, it also refers to the sadness in the young man's life because of his unhappy childhood and unfulfilled adulthood. Without the ability to transcend his past, Sonny fills the void with drugs and with music. Both are opiates to ease the pain, but neither is capable of repairing the damage wrought by Sonny's history. It is ultimately the acceptance and support of his brother, and the love of family, that finally allow Sonny to become a whole person.