The Effects of Point of View in Sonny's Blues

The Effects of Point of View in “Sonny’s Blues”

James Baldwin’s, “Sonny’s Blues,” illustrates the story between two different brothers as they struggle to discover the character of one another. “Sonny’s Blues” is narrated through the older brother’s point of view, as he portrays their difficulties in growing up, separation, and reunion. Baldwin purposely picks to tell the story in the first person point of view because of the omniscient and realistic effects it contribute to the story overall. The mother, father, and Sonny all express their accounts to the older brother, making him the perfect character to tell the story. In addition, the first person point of view allows the reader to experience the vicarious feelings that the brother has to face. Furthermore, the point of view is selective omniscient, which gives the brother information on the present, past, and future permitting the reader to more easily understands the plot. Through the multiple accounts told to the brother, his first person point of view, and selective omniscient, James Baldwin demonstrates how point of view can give the reader a more define and clearer understanding of the story’s overall meaning.

The mother, father, and Sonny all share their accounts and stories of their lives through the older brother. This makes the older brother perfect for giving the best scenarios of each event because he is the one who knows the most about his family. The brother is the only person besides his mother to know about the tragedy that happened between his father and his uncle. The mother speaks to the older brother about his uncle because she wants him to keep watch over Sonny. “I ain’t telling you all this, to make you scared or bitter or to make you hate nobody. I’m telling you this because you got a brother.” (Baldwin 51) Because of the conversation, the brother feels even more responsible for Sonny’s action and future. The brother has to play the role of a father and provides support and care for his younger brother. This is significant to the story because if Sonny has otherwise told the story, this important conversation would be missing. The brother is the person who has the most information about the family. His knowledge of his uncle’s account and conversation with his mother contribute to the overall completeness of the story that would have been missing otherwise.

Asides from giving complete information to the brother, Baldwin chooses to write the story in the first person point of view because he wants the reader to feel exactly as how the brother is feeling. By having it told from the first person, the reader could build a stronger connection with the character in the story. Baldwin distinguishes to the reader the difference between of being told a story and of experiencing the story first hand. The reader sees the events through the brother’s eyes, which makes the story more realistic and believable. For example, when the brother first discovers about his uncle’s death, he is stupefied and shock at the unbelievable news. Baldwin demonstrates this by stating,” I guess I didn’t want to believe this.” He ends with, “Still, I couldn’t move.” (51) If the quotes were replaced by “he” instead of “I”, the story would lose its credibility. The reader will be less reluctant to believe