13-3 James Baldwin

James Baldwin was born in Harlem. He has been called one of the important black writers of the twentieth century. He was the oldest of nine kids. At age fourteen he underwent a religious experience and began to preach. Sonny blues is about two brothers and the two sides of the African Americans. Sonny’s brother has been arrested for drugs he reads the newspaper to find this out. As he takes the sub-way to the school where he teaches he can’t believe he is in jail. He hears the kids and thinks of their child-hood. As the teacher leaves he meets an old friend and tells him of his brother’s arrest. He has given up on helping Sonny and this makes him mad. He feels like he has given up on Sonny also. The man tells Sonny’s brother he thought he was to smart to get caught. The friend tells him he would have killed himself a long time ago if he was smart. Meaning it would be better to die than to have a drug addiction. He later admits that he had turned Sonny on to drugs. Sonny’s brother wants to know what will happen to him now. He tells him they will send him to get help for the drugs. He writes Sonny while in jail since it has been a year since he has talked with him. Sonny is released from jail and has a desire for music and he wants his brother to hear him play.  He recalls when his mother has ask him to watch after Sonny His mother tells him about his dads brother that was killed by a drunk driver that ran over him. He doesn’t get why Sonny loves his music and finally he agrees to hear him. After he hears him play the blues, he has a better understanding of his desire for music.