Sonny’s Blues, written by James Baldwin is a short story that takes place in Harlem, a neighborhood where darkness rules. In Sonny’s Blues we get to meet Sonny, a teenager who wishes to make a living of playing jazz music, particularly the piano. However, the narrator and the older brother to Sonny disagree with this. The story in itself focuses a lot on human suffering, especially related to the teenage period when there is a lot of pressure from all directions. With the death of the parents this becomes the job for the older brother, or at least, so he himself believes.  This pressures Sonny in the end sonny runs away from home, living with his friends. The older brother decides that they are the fault, along with the music. Furthermore, I claim that the friends of Sonny’s are more supporting towards his music than his older brother. This behavior from the older brother and the wish of somewhere to belong for Sonny appears more than once through the story. In fact, it is the whole situation, their ups and downs.

To continue upon the brother’s behavior we notice quite early that he disapproves of Sonny’s musical career during one of their conversations, “you may think that it’s funny now, baby, but it’s not going to be funny when you have to make your living at it” (Booth & Mays 73). Although, this conversation appears right after the death of their mother the older brother already feels that the role of being the older brother is something he has not done good enough before. This is where the whole rodeo ride begins. Before leaving for the army, the older brother arranges for Sonny to live with his wife’s parents, the positive thing for Sonny is that they own a piano.

At first, the arrangement works well for both parts; Sonny plays the piano all day, every day and behaves accordingly.  Although, one day a letter arrives stating that Sonny has not been going to school, soon after this incident Sonny runs away to join the army.

"He came by the house from time to time, but we fought almost every time we met. I didn't like the way he carried himself, lose and dreamlike all the time, and I didn't like his friends, and his music seemed to be merely an excuse for the life he led" (Booth & Mays 77)

Once he returns, he decides to visit his brother as the quote above states and shows the unsupportiveness. In addition, another fight breaks out and Sonny once again disappears, this time without any notification of where. Eventually, the older brother decides to visit Sonny. This is where we first notice that Sonny finds more comfort in his friends then his real family, “but there were a lot of other people in the room and Sonny just lay on his bed, and he wouldn’t come downstairs with me, and he treated these people as though they were his family and I weren’t” (Booth & Mays 77). Indeed, Sonny has chosen another life style, soon he ends up in drug issues and ends up at rehabilitation.

After Sonny’s rehabilitation he moves into his brother’s house and they both appear to be more mature then before. Although, they discuss Sonny’s past, his current situation and future; coming forth with that he might go back to drugs, he is not certain. However, he invites his brother to come and watch him play the piano at a bar later in the evening. This is where his brother first encounter a real friend of Sonny’s, "Creole shook my hand." I'm glad to meet you, son", he said, and it was clear that he was glad to meet me there, for Sonny's sake. And he smiled, "You got a real musician in your family", and he took his arm from Sonny's shoulder and slapped him, lightly, affectionately, with the back of his hand" (Booth & Mays 82). Furthermore, we can finally see that the older brother starts to look further then his own nose.
The music within this story guides Sonny along a new road, an exciting road and as stated above it is clear that his brother does not agree to this, meanwhile his friends shows great interest. Great minds think alike as it is said. The story ends with Sonny playing a blues, for himself, for everyone around him. As it says in this quote:

"And it turned out that everyone at the bar knew Sonny, or almost everyone; some were musicians, working there, or nearby, or not working, some were simply hangers-on, and some were there to hear Sonny play. I was introduced to all of them and they were all very polite to me. Yet, it was clear that, for them, I was only Sonny's brother. Here, I was in Sonny's world. Or, rather: his kingdom. Here, it was not even a question that his veins bore royal blood" (Booth & Mays 84)

Sonny is well known amongst these people, they have supported him throughout this, and they have been there to see him change, to come back from being a wreck. If we take a look further back in the story we can see small fragments of that there are people around Sonny more than his family, mentioned as “musicians”, rather than friends. When he has been having issues at home, he has had somewhere to go, and this has helped him turn out to a great musician, “His veins bore royal blood”, amongst his friends he is respected, welcomed and loved. Indeed, there has been someone by Sonny’s side when his family has failed him, He was Sonny’s witness that deep water and drowning were not the same thing – he had been there, and he knew. And he wanted Sonny to know” (Booth & Mays 84). In addition, from the support from his friends with the music, the older brother sees Sonny in a different light; how he has suffered, fought and struggled.