The ending of “Sonny’s Blues” by
James Baldwin consists of an extended passage describing the jazz music played
by Sonny and his friends in a nightclub. As a musician myself, I really enjoyed
this passage and thought it did a great job of conveying the power of the music
through text. Starting on page 137, the jazz band begins to play and Baldwin’s
writing takes off, using beautiful language to describe what is almost a
conversation between the instruments. When the music starts, the narrator
notices Sonny struggling to get in the rhythm. But as he continues to play,
Sonny finds his place in the discourse between the instruments. I loved the
description of the “conversation”:
“Something began to happen. And
Creole let out the reins. The dry, low, black man
said something awful on the drums, Creole answered, and the drums talked back.
Then the horn insisted, sweet and high, slightly detached perhaps, and Creole
listened, commenting now and then, dry, and driving, beautiful and calm and
old. (139)
The
metaphor of conversation continues as Baldwin focuses more on the personal
aspects of the players, in particular Sonny. The narrator seems to gain a much
greater understanding of Sonny by watching him play. The powerful expression of
emotion he observes makes him realize Sonny’s inner torment and creative spirit.
At the beginning of the passage, he describes Sonny’s struggle to convey his
emotion through the instrument. However on page 140 in the last paragraph
describing the music, Sonny is successful in conveying his emotions through the
piano: “I heard what he had gone through, and would continue to go through
until he came to rest in earth. He had made it his: that long line, of which we
knew only Mama and Daddy.” The “it” in that last sentence refers, I think, to
his heritage and his culture, but by making it “his” it also signifies Sonny’s
individuality and special talent which his brother has finally appreciated.
Because he understands his brother and what has brought him to this point, the
narrator is very strongly moved by the music. I liked the ending to this story
because it manages to accurately convey the emotional power of music in the
story and in general. In addition, it
actually succeeded in giving me a good idea of the sonic nature of the piece the
musicians are playing.
I also enjoyed the language Baldwin used in "Sonny's Blues." I think the ending was when the narrator began understanding Sonny's passion on a deeper level. I really enjoyed the last paragraph, where Sonny and Creole finish and the audience bursts into applause, "and some of it was real." Then, the barmaid approaches Sonny with his drink. "He didn't seem to notice it, but just before they started playing again, he sipped from it and looked toward me, and nodded." I think this is a very important line in the story, since Sonny is still displaying his respect for the narrator. Indeed, this touches the narrator and makes him appreciate what Sonny does.
ReplyDeleteHearing the music seems to almost act as the catalyst that changes the narrator's thoughts and worries about Sonny. At the beginning of the passage, the narrator conveys his perception that Sonny is struggling with his instrument, and like you said isn't conveying enough emotion. Towards the end however, after this great "conversation" between Sonny and his band mates, as well as the last scene of the book when Sonny glances up to his brother gives him a nod of assurance, we can see how much has changed in such a short time. The narrator gets a sense that maybe being a jazz musician isn't a terrible thing after all, and realizes that Sonny is going to be fine.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post. I agree with your assessment of the music: that it allows the narrator to finally understand Sonny's struggles, and therefore, unites the brothers. I wrote a post which unintentionally overlapped this theme from yours. This was a very well-done post.
ReplyDeleteExcellent reading of the two aspects of "it" in that crucial line: there is a new, unprecedented appreciation of Sonny's artistry, which itself is reflected in the narrator "getting" the "it" his music represents--a kind of nonverbal commentary not only on Sonny's experience, and the narrator's family's experience, but their parents' experience, on down the line into the not-too-distant past of their ancestors. Baldwin nicely captures how jazz is an artform that combines individual present-tense improvised expression and a deep sense of history, reflecting and commenting on the lineage of the form that can be traced back through the blues to the spirituals and beyond, to Africa. Somehow all of this is in the "it" Sonny makes his (and the narrator's, through the magic of listening).
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