Mohammed Alhamawi
Mr. Johnson
English 1302-11
February 27, 2012
A Summary of Donald C. Murray's “ Jame's Baldwin's 'Sonny's Blues': Complicated and Simple”
Donald Murray, in “Complicated and Simple”, talks about how the author is emphasizing “man's need to find his identity” as the main issue society as well as Sonny and his brother are dealing with throughout the story. The area of Harlem with all its negative influences tend to affect its children's upcoming. Either to take the difficult route of finding one's self or to fall in the drug trap of Harlem “ it's simpler to submerge oneself, at the most dismal level, the limbo of drug addiction, rather than to truly find oneself” ( Murray 353).
Murray sheds light on Baldwin's use of light and darkness in the story to exemplify “man's painful quest for identity” ( Murray 354). In many cases Baldwin uses this imagery to draw an emphasizing image of his theme in the story. In multiple areas of the story Baldwin mentions light and darkness such as the subway encounter with one of Sunny's friends and the waitress at the pub. “All they knew were two darknesses,the darkness of their lives, which was now closing in on them , and the darkness of the movies, which had blinded them to that other darkness (Baldwin 328). This excerpt from the story is one of the main examples of the use of darkness and light in the story. As can be seen here darkness is representing the bitter reality that is consuming the people living in Harlem. Yet they try to somewhat escape this by watching a movie which is ironically another darkness that is only taking their attention or entertaining them until the main darkness consumes them.
Another interesting use of this method of theme application which Murray stated is the scene where the family is sitting together. “There is no escape from the darkness for Sonny and his family. Dreams and aspirations are always dispelled, the narrator comments, because someone will always 'get up and turn on the light.' 'And the light fills the room,' he continues, 'the child is filled with darkness” (Murray 354; Baldwin 328). Murray again highlights Baldwin's use of this method only this time he chooses to use it somewhat differently. The darkness is what the family is sulking in to get away from all their troubles until someone “turns on the light” and wakes them up to the reality of life.
Self realization, according to Baldwin, will be reached when a certain shock such as losing something or someone very close to you. Making the person stop and think thus reaching the point of self realization. Examples of this is the narrator and how he somewhat lost Sonny to the drug life and prison. As well as the death of the brother of the narrator's father. The final point in which Murray comes to which is at last reaching self realization. Sonny finally feels that he has found his place and calling in life after all the suffering and trouble he had to go to. Baldwin uses some biblical comparison of Sonny taking a journey that will change him “ hearing something else, is dealing with the roar rising from the void and imposing order on it as it hits the air” (Baldwin 356). This Journey that will cause Sonny to finally take that step that Creole pushes him to take with the music playing. Creole plays his role as motivation for Sonny as he is fairly nervous about playing, “He wanted Sonny to leave the shore line and strike out for the deep water” (Baldwin 356). He was the father figure that Sonny never found in his real father or in his older brother because they were both dealing with their own issues. Creole on the other hand has dealt with it all and helps Sonny get through his fears and acts as his guidance.
The final point Baldwin makes is that Sonny finally finds himself at the end of his journey as well as his brother that had come to understand after he heard Sonny play his music. Self realization has been achieved and Baldwin ends with another biblical metaphor. “The image of the homely Scotch-and-milk glass transformed into 'the very cup of trembling,' the Grail, the goal of the quest and the emblem of initiation” (Murray 357; Baldwin 358).