African-American heritage Essays

African-American heritage Essays African-American heritage Essay African-American heritage Essay The two main characters are brothers of African-American heritage. The story of conflict is about how they come to know and understand each other. Sonnys older brother is 7 years his senior, and is the parental figure for Sonny, the older brother having made a promise to their dying mum that he would protect and parent Sonny. However, at the beginning of the story the brothers have been estranged for over a year, due to neither accepting the others values, goals and lifestyle. The older brother has a stable life and is married with children; he has become a responsible citizen as a school teacher. He has assimilated; whereas Sonny is a heroin addict jazz musician living a Bohemian life representative of the no good black.This is the 1950s in New York before the Civil Rights Movement when segregation was still practiced. The emphasis on jazz music through the story reflects the conflict between the brothers.Jazz music at the time was also dividing the African-A merican community in much the same way as the brothers were divided in approaches to life. The middle-class African-Americans is the group which the older brother falls into, they tended to downplay obvious barriers to their social successes (such as becoming a school teacher). The older brother, life many of the middle-class African-Americans at the time, wanted to believe that they could achieve high social status and standards of living, and was confident that hard work, sacrifice and perseverance would create a better and safer world for their children. This group of middle class African-Americans, like the older brother, were ready and willing to assimilate into white society fully, if they could be but given the chance. In sharp contrast, Sonny and African-Americans like him at the time (poor, unemployed, musicians and addicts) confront the status quo instead of accepting it. They perceive the struggle of the African-American to be an ongoing struggle of inequality and unaccep tance.Sonny and his cohorts sought radical social change to believe that they could ever enter access the opportunities and privileges of the white society. This divide between the brothers is highlighted when the older brother says to Sonny, Well, Sonny, you know people cant always do exactly what they want to do. Such as statement indicates the older brothers cautious and accountable way of approaching life; he willingly sacrifices his own wants and desires to that he can maintain his standing as a member of the middle-class. The older brother is worried for Sonny, he is afraid that Sonny will ultimately fail because he lacks ambition, perseverance and self-sacrifice. In response to his brother Sonny states, No, I dont know that. I think people ought to do what they want to do, what else are they alive for? This reveals Sonnys unacceptance of other people setting his goals and standards of success.Another time the brothers are watching a street musician and sonny is deeply moved b ey her ability, recognizing the deep pain experiences she must of experienced to sing as she does. Sonny is receptive to the pain of others and is transformed by it, drawing on it for his art. However, the older brother does not empathize at all with the singer or Sonnys interpretation of her music. It also contributes to the conflict between the brothers that the story is set around a war and the part the USA has to play in it. At this time, many African-Americans were seeking to prove their value and equality to their white cohorts. Volunteering to go to war however meant ongoing frustration of not obtaining their goal to prove their Americaness and of wanting to assimilate, which in turn have contributed to the brothers feelings of dissatisfaction and alienation.Eventually, by the end of the story the older brother is able to understand why Sonny is the person he is, and why he himself is the person he is. He reflects on the students in his algebra class and the poor circumstance s that they live in. He realises that these kids may not have the opportunities that he did, and that drugs and music can be a way to work through the pain for them. In trying to comprehend his brothers drug use and lifestyle the older brother questioned a friend of Sonnys who is an addict, Tell me, why does he want to die?   He must want to die, hes killing himself, why does he want to die? The friend surprises the older brother by stating thatHe dont want to die. He wants to live. Dont nobody want to die, ever. The conflict between the brothers resolves when the older brother realizes that Sonny does not want to live by anothers definition of what makes a meaningful life. He sees discrimination as a barrier to freedom and equates this with death. Hence, living the white way (right way) is living as a ghost dead.To deal with this living death, to navigate his life, Sonny (and others like him) use drugs, music and other arts to escape social death. The conflicts within the story for Sonny and his older brother (middle-class/bohemia; acceptable job/musician; sibling/parental; drug use/responsible, white/black) serve to highlight what it is that is of true value. And what makes freedom true. Sonny and his cohorts conflict with what freedom is not (handcuffed to regulations, standards and authority; segregation; inequality; profit; consumption).The multi-layer of conflict presents a real-world scenario of searching for meaning and purpose in life. Notably, Baldwin was a street preacher for many years, and his storyline reflects this influence in the conflicts between this pseudo parent-child dyad with the two brothers. Myths and legends involving two brothers are numerous and patterned around conflict; in the west the most prominent being Cain murdering Able. Across cultures, sibling conflict between brothers has been used to deliver moral messages of action and consequence, and a way of value to lead ones life. Perhaps the use of siblings in Baldwins story is to emphasize the personal nature of the conflict/s; the brothers then representing two parts of the self. Yin and yang (black and white) polarities are needed to create tension (conflict) which has gradients of resolution and disintegration (the brothers find understanding/WWII).By the end his brother realises that it is through his music of bebop jazz and blues that Sonny channels and works through his pain.They have been estranged for over a year and he reads about a drug raid in which Sonny is arrested. Through his anger the brother comes to understand his brother better. Following release form prison the older brother continues the protective role and takes Sonny into his home. He is fulfilling a promise to his mum to look after Sonny following her death. His ongoing relationship with Sonny has been fragile and intermittent. He misunderstands and mistrusts his brothers need for music, especially as it is so related to Sonnys heroin addiction which is only barely under control.