Sonny's blues

Reading Response- “Sonny’s Blues”

     The story “Sonny’s Blues” touches on some very interesting topics, things we tend to ignore or take for granted in our daily lives. The narrator and his brother Sonny grew up surrounded by poverty, frustration and drugs. The brothers struggle to communicate and find common ground but the process is tedious and takes time. While the narrator was able to step above his environment and make something of himself Sonny fell prey to the streets and was soon locked up for selling and using heroine.

     The death of the narrators’ daughter made him reach out to his brother; I guess one can say the lost made him realize how important family is. The narrator is faced with the reality that he is indeed his brother’s keeper and maybe, just maybe if he had taken the time to listen or give some brotherly love things might have been different.

       More often than not we take our family for granted, thinking they will be fine without us, when in fact we are doing them more harm than good. Everyone needs someone to show them that they care and that they are there for them. Through music Sonny was able to find that inner peace that he sought after. He was able to express all his pain and anguish, this he shared with his brother who was finally able to understand him and his years of struggle.

      In today’s society there are so many young men like Sonny who grow up in less than desirable communities with little to no prospects ahead of them. They feel disheartened when they look around at what may be their future. If only someone would take them under their wing and show them that there is more to life. Many times, a listening ear, a caring soul and a loving heart can be the difference between a life of drugs or a positive future.