Introduction
There is an unforeseen war being fought daily, one that seems to be eternally raging within ourselves. The unrelenting forces of darkness within the human psyche have viciously claimed so many of us and those few who remain standing must diligently struggle with the never ending pursuit towards the light. So often the struggle itself reveals to us the hidden truths behind our deepest fears and if we can sustain long enough we may find a method to emerge victoriously.
The painful journey of the artist is a path one can choose to take in order to encounter one’s fear with his or her shadows. Since it is through the process of creating we can find the inconceivable strength and courage to face our inner demons. This theme can be conceptualized and identified throughout James Baldwin’s short story, Sonny’s Blues and Kim L.’s poem titled, Path of the Artist.
Evaluating Literary Elements
The literary elements of plot, characterization, setting, and symbolism corroborate the underlying theme behind Sonny’s Blues. The title itself offers readers clues to the theme because Sonny’s Blues “could refer either to the immense pain Sonny has endured or the wonderful music he is able to create."
The Plot
The plot of the story begins with Sonny’s older brother discovering his arrest for drug abuse. Sonny’s older brother is the protagonist and also the chosen narrator throughout this piece. Sonny is introduced later in the story once it is understood that his older brother possesses his own inner turmoil for having being forced to become his younger brother’s caretaker after the deaths of their parents.
Character Contrasts
The contrast of the two characters can be seen as Sonny’s older brother is described as being an Algebra teacher, married with children. Sonny on the other hand is a recovering heroin addict and jazz musician. In society’s eyes it is Sonny’s older brother who is probably viewed as the strong and stable individual yet there are many references to him having more fear than Sonny.
Perhaps the older brother was hiding behind his brother’s addiction and while silently condemning him he secretly admired Sonny for having the courage to follow his dreams. He also pretended to have more control over his life and negated the fact that death is a natural part of the process. As his mother talks to him about his father losing his own brother he convinces himself into believing he must do everything in his power to prevent Sonny from ‘killing himself’.
The older brother also saw himself to be the polar opposite of Sonny yet they were very similar. Both men had the same fears but displayed different methods for handling their weaknesses. The dialogue between the two characters shapes the consciousness of both their differences and similarities Sonny is more open with his fears and dreams than his brother. He was also able to endure the unavoidable suffering because of his love for music, he would always be found at the piano ‘playing for his life’. Although he admittedly accepts his addiction as being no picnic he confesses that it allowed him to ‘stand it, and make it at all on any level.’
The Setting
The setting of the story provides the necessary environment for the internal war since it takes place in the ghettos of Harlem during the time frame in which jazz was becoming more popular and heroin use was the suggested remedy for people looking to escape the horrors of existence. Darkness and death serves as symbols in this story in order to portray the sense of hopelessness one can feel from being a product of the ‘trapped’ state of mind.
Symbolization
The music symbolized the light since it “seemed to soothe the poison out of them”. The jazz music created by Sonny and his band members is described as being “the only light we’ve got in all this darkness” (Gardner, Lawn, Ridl & Schakel, 2009, Sonny’s Blues p. 274). In the end it is the music that is able to set both men free as it perpetuates them into a state of timelessness and peace they so desperately craved in the outside world.
Evaluating Similar Themes
The story’s genre of drama and fiction perfectly explicates the battles between light and dark. The self-destructive war within the man and artist is displayed through Sonny and his older brother. However, the inner chaos for the man to ‘become’ the artist can be identified in Kim L.’s poem, Path of the Artist. The poem suggests the only way to find heaven is through the purity of heart or truth and part of truth is acknowledging the fact darkness does indeed exist within all of us. This piece of poetry impacts the theme of the artist’s journey through the author’s specific use of point of view, language, and style.
Careful attention to word choices such as “I” and “you” can give clues behind the purpose of the point of view within the poem. It is quite easy to decipher the speaker as the poet in this poem as it starts with “The secrets that you keep.” The poet also uses the symbolism of darkness and fear to describe the inner conflict the person must face in order to create.
The word choice or language of this poem is integrated in order to establish the tone, “afraid to scratch the fragile surface to find out your pathetic purpose,” sounds sinister and honest at the same time. These two conflicting tones found in the beginning and end of the poem intensifies one’s yearning to reach heaven only by succumbing to the darkness. The man must have the courage to face the void and ‘mirror of self hate’ because realistically we cannot avoid our shadows. “Those few who choose to liberate are the ones who live inside the horror,” affirms that part of being free to create means the person must endure suffering.
Both works contribute to the theme of how people can learn to utilize art mediums as a method towards conquering the darkness although conquering one’s darkness does not mean it will no longer exist for it is an innate part of being human. Sonny’s addiction to heroin was his darkness and suffering, to which he begins to learn ‘there’s no way not to suffer’.
He even mentions to his brother the urge to have the drug can come back and in the poem the writer mentions the inescapable darkness. Both works also acknowledge suffering to be the catalyst for delivering one into the light even if it’s temporary, ‘if you decide to make the leap, you’ll be given a glimpse of eternity.’ The genres of both Sonny’s Blues and Path of the Artist, phenomenally articulates the suffering, self-torture and destruction one must endure for a moment of heaven and most importantly for a transitory sense of victory.
Sources
Gardner, J., Lawn, B., Ridl, J., Schakel, P., (2009). Literature: A Portable Anthology, Second
Editon. New York : Bedford/ St. Martin’s.
Kim L., (2009) Path of the Artist, from Poems From the Opposite Ends of the World, retrieved December 16, 2009 from http://idicmedia.blogspot.com/
Lilienfeld, J., & Oxford, J., (1999). The language of addiction, New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Schwehn, M., & Bass, D., (2006). Leading lives that matter, Grand Rapids: WM.B. Eerdmans.
Kimona Brown - "Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it." - Rumi
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