Sonny’s Blues James Baldwin 1924-1987

it do for him? Consider this passage, in which Sonny describes some street
singers: “. . .the music seemed to soothe a poison out of them; and seemed, nearly, to fall away from the sullen, belligerent, battered faces, though they were fleeing back to their first condition, while dreaming of their
last.”
Consider also this passage, in which the brother observes one of the musicians
playing on stage with Sonny near the end of the story: “He was having a dialogue
with Sonny. He wanted Sonny to leave the shoreline and strike out for the deep
water.” What is meant by “deep water”?
Exit through Art
Baldwin’s subject is the music, of course, but he is also talking about other
forms of creation. What might they be?
Meaning of Love(s)
Make a list of the different types of “love” that are either alluded to shown in this story. Perhaps think about all the different types relationships shown or mentioned in this story where “love” might be a