Analysis Of The Poem Sonny s Blues - 1580 Words

Anisah Smith Professor Adamson Literature 150 2 May 2016 To Escape or to Remain? According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, imprisonment is the act of confining or the state of being confined. In the short shorties and poem, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues, â€Å"Apollo† and #280, the authors Baldwin, Adichie and Dickinson illustrate how one’s actions and relationships can lead to a deeper sense of self imprisonment portrayed in each of their characters. This paper will go into depth about whether these characters can escape from this figurative self imprisonment or if all hope is lost for them. The authors’ opinions on this issue demonstrate ultimately a bigger picture on life, which is important because it gives an insight on how the authors’ handle†¦show more content†¦Baldwin does a great job using the plot structure and characterization to create and reinforce the story’s main theme of self imprisonment. The narrator presents a comprehension not only into his and Sonny’s life together but also their circumst ances. Although he is successful in comparison to most men in their community Baldwin still forces us to question whether he is truly happy. He knows that he has a commitment to Sonny and needs to move his uncertainties to the side and devote himself to helping Sonny. Baldwin portrays both characters in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† as being trapped both physically and emotionally, constantly struggling to break free from various obstacles throughout the story. Instead of escaping, Sonny ends up physically imprisoned in jail as well as by his addiction to drugs pushing him farther away from his great escape. Upon Sonny’s release the narrator notices a change in Sonny, â€Å"when he smiled, when we shook hands, the baby brother I’d never known looked out from the depths of his private life, like an animal waiting to be coaxed into the lights.† (Baldwin 36) describing Sonny as a caged animal that is trying to break free from the effects of prison and from his drug addiction that led him to his incarceration, leaving the narrator inquiring whether Sonny can be brought back into the light, ultimately saving him from himself. Now that Sonny is physically free the