Sonny's Blues

Often times family members can seem to be nothing like one another. Despite being from the same family, people can be very different from one another. They may have different interests, personalities, and often times take very different paths in life. Despite this, they are still family and can find something to bring them together. That is the case with Sonny and his brother in this story.
Sonny and his brother cannot appear to be more different from the outset. Sonny is a jazz musician and a drug addict who wants to escape from his past and pursue his dream of being a musician. His brother is a school teacher who seems to be much more secure in his standing in society and much more stable.
At one point in the story, Sonny is arrested for drug possession and his brother gets word of the arrest. Upon hearing about Sonny’s arrest, he begins to reflect upon their past. He had not been in contact with Sonny for many years, but he decided to write him. Their relationship appears trained at best. They often argue about what Sonny should do with his life. They both have different views on what patch he should take. Sonny’s brother does not understand why he wants to be a musician. He instead wants him to finish school, saying if he doesn’t he will regret it later.
After a while, Sonny’s brother finally has a chance to hear Sonny play his music. Upon hearing it, he begins to understand Sonny a bit. The music seems to draw them closer than they had been before. On page 103 he says, “As the singing filled the air the watching, listening faces underwent a change, the eyes focusing on something within; the music seemed to soothe a poison out of them; and time seemed, nearly, to fall away from the sullen, belligerent, battered faces, as though they were fleeing back to their first condition, while dreaming of their last.” With this it seems as though Sonny’s brother realizes the power of the music. In the end, the music is what brings them together. Seeing Sonny perform allows him to understand him better and ultimately brings them closer than they have ever been.