Scarlet's Essay #2

Scarlet Caruso
Mr. Salsich
English
September 22, 2008


What if you read a book thoroughly and thought that you understood it very well but then you read an essay that brought a whole new light onto the book? That is what happens when you, after reading Sonny’s Blues, read the essay, “’Sonny's Blues’: A Message in Music” by Suzy Goldman. She introduces new ideas, thoughts and meanings into your head, while quietly informing you of the plot. This well written essay could really change the way you thought about Sonny’s Blues.

In Suzy Goldman’s essay about Sonny’s Blues she tells the story in a brief but informative way. Goldman starts off by giving us background information about the story, it’s theme, when it was written and more. The story that was written in 1957, still, “carr[ies] vital social message[s] for us today”. She also introduces us to the two main characters, an unnamed narrator and his brother, Sonny. She explains what Sonny is going through and his brother’s feelings and opinions about it. Goldman also helps us understand why and how the narrator reacts the way he does. Overall Goldman helps you comprehend the characters and the story in a way that could not be achieved by just reading the book.

I think that Goldman’s writing helped understand the book a lot more. I believe anyone that has read Sonny’s Blues should read this after words, it helps explain the main story and what each section means. When Goldman said, “He has begun, finally, to sympathize, to understand (Sonny’s problems)” it made me realize that it didn’t take the brother until the end to understand his problems but he began to in the middle of the story. Also when she pointed out that finding out that your brother had been arrested through a newspaper was so impersonal, I didn’t even think about it before hand. Goldman writing was so in-depth; she understood the figurative and literal meaning of every situation. For example, when she mentions that the musicians were having dialogue and she explains how the narrator understood it and how it made him realize how bad Sonny’s blues really are. Furthermore she mentions the relationship between the two brothers and how incredibly far apart they are. Overall Suzy Goldman truly understands the message and meanings in the book Sonny’s Blues.

Suzy Goldman’s essay, “A Message in Music”, is chock full of anylizations and true meanings in Sonny’s blues. She thoroughly explains the plot and when it was written. She also helps you understand the book’s meaning while explaining the relationship between Sonny and his brother. In conclusion this is a well-written essay that would help anyone who has read Sonny’s Blues.



Suzy Bernstein Goldman. "Sonny's Blues: James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues": A Message in Music." Short Stories for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 22 September 2008. .