Psychotic Siblings and What Makes Them So Insufferable Most people have at least one sibling to torment them for eternity. It is a fact of life for about 80 percent of the population, though some of them may wish they were not part of this statistic. Those who have no brother or sister to pull their hair or steal their allowance are blessed beyond words, but nevertheless some sibling-less children often wonder how different their life would be if they had someone to grow up with. But what makes siblings so insufferable? Why are many children tormented by their older brothers or sisters? More importantly, why do siblings constantly fight? The answer is simple: sibling rivalry. But what is sibling rivalry? What causes it? Sibling rivalry is the …show more content…
The same-sex, small age gap relation between siblings is represented in Wolff’s story, “The Rich Brother” while Baldwin’s story, “Sonny’s Blues” focuses on the interaction of siblings of the same gender with a larger age gap. Their interactions are true to the study, as these pairs of siblings are very dysfunctional and aggressive toward each other. Martha Ryan: Don't ask so many questions Berry 2 In “The Rich Brother”, Pete is the older brother, though it is not stated just how much older he is. Donald is his younger brother, and seems to be the bane of Pete’s existence. Many signs of aggression between these two are mentioned. For example, when they were children, Donald had intestinal problems. From what he says about their childhood, it seems that Donald might have had intestinal hernias, a condition when the abdominal wall is not strong enough to keep the intestines from jostling around, and often causes the intestines to spill out of their proper place. This is very dangerous because the intestines could rupture, and the waste products of the body would collect and poison him from the inside. And yet Pete sought to worsen his …show more content…
However, in “Sonny’s Blues” the two brothers have a larger age gap of seven years, and instead of an aggressive relationship, their relationship is more based around the older brother being a guide of sorts to his younger brother, Sonny. Of course, that doesn’t always mean that Sonny listens to him, much to the narrator’s lament. The story begins with the narrator, Sonny’s brother, teaching at the school where he works in Harlem. As he is walking home, he finds out from one of Sonny’s old friends that Sonny is in jail for drug abuse. His first reaction to the news is anger at Sonny, and at the state of Harlem where they both live. In his anger he decides to not write to his brother in jail, or to visit him at all. He remembers all of the events leading up to his brother’s arrest: their father’s death, the narrator going off to war for the navy, his return home to find that his brother had gotten kicked out of his wife’s house, his mother’s death and her wish for him to protect Sonny, his brother’s confession that he wanted to become a jazz piano player, and the birth and raising of his
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do” (Pele qtd. In Soccerlens). Countless people have done amazing things through perseverance. Sonny was an average boy in a mining town, but he started building rockets and learned a valuable life lesson.
James Baldwin is a renowned author best known for his work of essays, books and short stories, particularly those which dwell deeply into important social and psychological issues of discrimination, gender inequality, homophobia and so on. One of Mr. Baldwin 's most appreciated literary works is the short story 'Sonny 's Blues ' which focuses on two brothers who grew up together but take different paths in life. The story follows the narrator learning about his brother Sonny 's incarceration due to the use and selling of drugs until his brother gets parole. Throughout the story, we learn about the relationship between the pair and are able to witness the narrators ultimate understanding of Sonny and his ambition. As we continue to observe the impressive short story, we find the most recurring theme to be that of sorrow.
The older brothers are conventionally the one to set an example for his younger siblings. In “Sonny’s Blues,” the narrator opts to join the army. Before he parted to go, he has a conversation with his mother about his younger brother Sonny. His mother tells him “If anything happens to me he ain’t going to have nobody to look out for him,” (Baldwin 370). Therefore, she asks him to make sure that his brother is okay.
The narrator also experiences a change at the end of the story, shifting from a brother who was struggling to understand his brother’s passion to a compassionate brother who understands the emotions that music evokes in his brother. The reason for their changes was Sonny’s musical performance. Through the performance Sonny is able to once again connect with music, and the narrator is able to see this connection and forms a new understanding of how his brother is able to express himself through music. The greatest change can be seen in the narrator, as his newfound understanding of his brother’s love for music allows him to bridge the emotional gap he once felt between himself and his brother voicing, “freedom lurked around us and I understood, at last”
Alicia Mathew Mrs. Hall English 2 Honors March 15, 2023 Caring About Your Family Can Hurt You “Sonny’s Blues” takes place in the town of Harlem where the narrator discovers that his brother, Sonny, was arrested for being involved with drugs. The narrator reminisces over his childhood with Sonny, and he reconciles their relationship after Sonny is released from jail when the narrator listens to Sonny playing at a local jazz club. In the short story “Sonny’s Blues,” James Baldwin emphasizes how family relationships can contribute to internal conflicts due to how much one cares about their family.
James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” is a short story depicting the relationship of two brothers, Sonny and an unnamed narrator. The story takes place in the project of Harlem, New York in the early 1950s. The narrator is a high school math teacher. His younger brother Sonny is a troubled musician struggling with his addiction to drugs. Before their mother dies, she asks the narrator promise to her he’ll look after his younger brother when she is gone.
In contrast, the narrator internalizes his feelings by repressing them as his father did after his brother passed away. As it was the relationship of their father and uncle, Sonny and his brother grew up in Harlem, a district replete with hopelessness and poverty. Yet each individual reacts to his environment in unusual ways. On the one hand, the narrator distances himself from his community in Harlem, including his brother Sonny. The narrator may love his brother but is in general judgmental of the direction of Sonny's life struggles and decisions.
In modern-day life people often have their ups and downs of having power and losing it all. This is a key element in life, which is why many art forms choose to use it as their basis of writing. Literature often shows power and powerlessness through heroes and villains. However, author James Baldwin brings the battle of having and losing power through ordinary people’s life experiences. In the short story, Sonny’s Blues, written by James Baldwin examines the idea of how the desire to have power or control leads to having no power at all through the plot, characters, and setting.
Although both characters were different they found an understanding by trying to feel what each other were feeling. Also by coping with their tough childhood and feelings together without directly communicating. Sonny wanted so desperately to please his brother, but couldn’t find a way to avoid Jazz but still get that feeling he craved. Sonny was clearly disappointed and embarrassed by his choice of actions and despite what anyone said, he realized the choice he made was poor and it was time to follow his dream. At the end, the narrator realizes why Sonny turned to drugs in the first place.
For example, the narrator talked about how Sonny stayed at his sister-in-law's house and played his heart out on their piano. This flashback showed his love for music anywhere he was. It helped him escape the pain he was feeling in Harlem and some of his responsibilities of school by staying home and playing. Baldwin also used stereotypes to get his message across. Harlem was not a friendly, rich, white town, so the fact that he chose this setting it made the reader automatically assume that these brothers did not grow up in a stable environment.
After hearing that his younger brother, Sonny, has been put in jail due to drug use, he remembers his childhood, and how they both never did really get along. Both Sonny and the narrator feel a sense of “darkness outside”, and this “darkness” is what creates the miscommunication between the brothers (Baldwin 338). Sonny changed his normality due to not being noticed during his childhood, and the drastic change causes the older brother to feel uncomfortable seeing his brother, because Sonny told him that “he was dead as far as [he] was concerned” (351). Their struggles caused them to lose contact, and to slowly build that invisible barrier between their
The narrator took the role of being a big brother serious; however going to the military and keeping distant from Sonny affected his brother in many ways. Sandy Norton states that the narrator was in awe when it came to his brother, he didn’t know how to help Sonny, which is why he chose not to think about his brother’s addiction to heroin. “He is, in fact, A man full of fear, trying to use his relatively privileged social position to protect himself from social reality” (Norton 175-192). This quote explains how the narrator tries to avoid thinking about his little brother being hooked on
Sibling relationships are some of the of the toughest and hardest parts of human lives. There could be days of fun and laughter, or they are filled with anger and hate. This is evident in The Scarlet Ibis, a short story by James Hurst. The narrator and his brother, Doodle, seem to have a loving brotherly relationship. However, by the end of the story, the reader is left wondering whether this is an honorable relationship.
As Donald C. Murray has said in his article, “James Baldwin’s ‘Sonny’s Blues’: Complicated and Simple”, “Images of light and darkness are used by Baldwin… ( Murray 354)”. Also, Baldwin is able to tell a story that can make the reader visualize what is happening to this character Sonny, even though it is being narrated through the eyes and perspective of his older brother. He portrays the older brother as someone who can understand and recognizes the internal struggles of Sonny and be compassionate about them, even though the elder brother does not agree with all the life choices his brother has
Sibling Rivalry Siblings, for a lot of people, are an important part of growing up. They teach children how to interact with others and how to form friendships from a young age. However, like most things in life, they have a negative side. Sibling rivalry is an incredibly common thing, and has been shown throughout history.