A Literary Analysis Of James Baldwin In Giovanni's Room

James Baldwin’s short story, “Sonny’s Blues,” tells the story of two brothers living in 1950s Harlem. The story depicts the relationship of the brothers as the younger brother, Sonny, battles to overcome a heroin addiction and find a career in jazz. In “Sonny’s Blues”, Baldwin’s shifting portrayal of Harlem mirrors the changing relationship of the two brothers: while both the city and the relationship were originally with dark uncertainty, by the end of the story, the narrator has begun to find peace both within his surroundings and his relationship with his brother. At the beginning of the story, before Sonny returns to Harlem, the narrator never describes his surroundings, only the people in them.

. The first quote by James Baldwin, I believe is talking about how the concept of racism fills many books and is constantly being debated or reflected on by different people everywhere. What Baldwin is trying to point out to the reader, is that this questioning of color is used to cover up who people really are deep down. I think he’s hinting at the idea that racism is used to cover up certain insecurities or fears people may have hidden inside of them. The second quote by Trey Ellis, goes down the list and displays all the different degrading names dark-skinned people have been called throughout history.

Diamond Williams Professor Wolfe LIT2001 3 January 16 Fiction Analysis “Sonny’s Blues” is a short story written by James Baldwin that reflects on the ongoing struggles between failure and atonement amongst two brothers. The older brother who is also the narrator, gives us insight on the struggles in Harlem, and the life he had with his drug addicted younger brother, Sonny. As we follow the narrator, we later discover who Sonny really is. Published in the mid nineteen hundreds, the burdensome of living in Harlem in “Sonny’s Blues” reflects the life that James Baldwin endured.

Throughout the story of “Sonny’s Blues”, James Baldwin develops a theme that can still be related with today. The misunderstanding and lack of knowledge that the narrator experiences, about his brother, is something that many today feel, as their own family members are being prosecuted and they do not comprehend why. Within the story, there are numerous subtle ideas that are used to progress the story and theme along to the ending that is given. James Baldwin advances the theme of his story, that misfortune and anguish can be renovated into a unique art form, using characterizations, settings, and symbolisms. One of the main literary devices that is used to express the theme is characterization.

In James Baldwin’s essay, Stranger in the Village, he depicts a distant village that has become isolated from outsiders, however, strangers are welcome into the village. Having little distractions, Baldwin finds an ease at mind for focusing on his writing. However, being isolated does have fallbacks. For instance, upon visiting the village, the residents were so unfamiliar with African Americans, which caused many people to stop and view him. Some would put their “hand on my hand, astonished that the color did not rub off” (65).

In the essay “Notes of a Native Son” by James Baldwin, he expresses feelings of hate and despair towards his father. His father died when James was 19 years old from tuberculosis; it just so happens that his funeral was on the day of the Harlem Riot of 1943. Baldwin explains that his father isn’t fond of white people due to the racist past. He recalls a time when a white teacher brought him to a theater and that caused nothing but upset with his father, even though it was a kind act. Many events happened to Baldwin as a result of segregation, including a time where a waitress refused to serve him due to his skin color and Baldwin threw a pitcher of water at her.

In A Letter to My Nephew, James Baldwin, the now deceased critically acclaimed writer, pens a message to his nephew, also named James. This letter is meant to serve as a caution to him of the harsh realities of being black in the United States. With Baldwin 's rare usage of his nephew 's name in the writing, the letter does not only serve as a letter to his relative, but as a message to black youth that is still needed today. Baldwin wrote this letter at a time where his nephew was going through adolescence, a period where one leaves childhood and inches closer and closer to becoming an adult.

In the novel Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin, the protagonist David’s obsession with maintaining a traditionally masculine façade is what leads to the demise of all of his relationships. David’s masculine presentation and insecurity over his own homosexuality are frowned upon by Western society in the 1950s, the novel’s setting. This general societal consensus leads to David’s internalization of homophobia, eventually leading to the ruin of his relationships with family, friends, lovers, and himself. Western society’s view of homosexuality and masculinity at that time is the primary reason for the expiry of David’s relationships.

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.

The way in which Baldwin describes his first encounter with what would become his church home is important to the narrative that follows and shows a remorseful recollection of the events. Baldwin describes the event as becoming involved in “the church racket” as he “surrendered to a spiritual seduction” (5). As Baldwin was young at the time, his decision to use the word “seduction” showcases a predator- prey relationship that was used to lure him into the church. It also alludes to the pimp/prostitute relationship that he mentions became a way of life for some of the people he grew up with. This was a clear and direct choice that Baldwin made to connect the church and the streets and show that their lifestyles were ultimately not very different from one

This shows the change David has made with his views and choices. In the beginning of the book, David wished for extra arms as a harmless joke only to realize that making that joke costed him and got beat by his father. David then kept quiet as he didn’t want to express his own feelings due to trauma he has suffered. By the end of the book, David runs away with his friends in protest to his father’s rules and to express who he truly is. From the beginning of the book to the end, David has shown examples of him changing who he is as a person for the better.

The book begins with anecdotes about the defamation of black bodies by white people and by Christianity itself. When speaking about his adolescence, Baldwin writes that “Owing to the way I had been raised, the abrupt discomfort that all this aroused in me and the fact that I had no idea what my voice or my mind or my body was likely to do next caused me to consider myself one of the most depraved people on earth” (Baldwin 17). The platonized Christian tradition that Baldwin was a part of saw the body, and especially the black body, as a symbol of sin, and so the onset of puberty became a source of guilt because of its association with sexuality (Brown Douglas

One will constantly face temporary conflict throughout life, but ultimately they can overcome through a will to on and pursue what makes oneself happy. Baldwin was able to create a picture in the reader's mind due to his personal relation to his characters, he was able to understand the harsh times for an African-American male. It also reflects on the care that siblings have for one another and how even though they have good intentions, they can't always help their loved one follow a positive

However, the focal point within the story occurs when the narrator gets to have a vulnerable moment with the blind man that he has never encountered before, and it makes him feel liberated. Entry #2 In “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin the author

Baldwin’s creative style in both stories effectively gives his audience perspective and insight into these themes, permitting a deeper comprehension of how they relate to the world outside of his stories.