The ways in which James Baldwin used light and dark in 'Sonny's Blues' are analyzed in a paper consisting of five pages. There are no other sources listed.
Name of Research Paper File: JR7_RAsonny.rtf
Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
dark and light forces of life. It is a tale that has hope, yet powerful despair as well. It is, in many ways, a story about the blues, and the
blues is not something that is utterly horrid, but rather something that is real and dark, while somehow offering hope. Baldwin not only uses dark and light to present us
with a story, but also uses dark and light to help develop the plot until we come to a point where the two mesh and illustrate the condition of man.
In the following paper we examine Baldwins story, discussing how dark and light help in developing the plot of his story. Dark and Light In the very beginning
of the story we are provided with a very dismal and dark picture. It is the picture of Sonnys brother discovering Sonny is in prison for drugs. Sonny is a
heroine addict and he and his brother have not spoken for several years. There is nothing truly lighthearted about this reality, especially when we understand that the men are from
Harlem and from a world of poverty. They have had little opportunities in life and each ahs gone their separate ways, presenting us with darkness and alienation. We note that
Sonnys brother is a teacher, and he feels himself to be successful. He feels that he is the light, the possibilities, that can touch his brother. But, Sonny is of
a different mind. His world is not his brothers. This is a common scenario in which a brother who feels himself successful can turn the other around to suit their
own selfish desire to do good. Sonnys brother was told a story by his mother before she died, a story of a young reckless black man who was killed by