Sonny’s Blues Essay Examples

While each character, the narrator included, could be analyzed in Sonny’s Blues, Sonny’s mother raises particular curiosity. Despite the trails and dangers or the real world, it appears the mother is always there as a figure of safety, and I would like to know why this is? Was it that the story simply needed a safe haven, or Sonny’s character in particular needed a figure that was a grounding home base, in a sense. Despite the death of a brother, the mother continues to be a sense of overwhelming comfort, as well, acting as an overwhelming figurehead of guidance. It must be asked if the mother does not represent the wonder we all have for the maternal figures in our lives.
Many of us, whether in childhood or adulthood, and no matter the situation, turn to our mothers for comfort. Many of us also turn to them for answers, even in the most unlikely of situations. When situations, and life in general, make the least amount of sense, we call upon our mothers to explain to us what is going on. The mother, shown to us through various words and images, acts as a literal shepherd for her children, protecting her family from the darkness and confusion of the world. Moreover, and much like many mothers do, she sees her own death coming and understands her youngest son will be in danger. In an effort to secure this protection, even after her death, she urges the eldest to be the new protector, fortifying a new family leader. It sounds universal of many caring mothers, and we are forced to ask if she is representative of all mothers who care about their families? She sounds as though she is the universal representation of a mother, fortified in sainthood by her love and guidance. Rather than just a simply character in a story, and far from being the primary character in Sonny’s Blues, her presences appears to signify more than just one mother in one story, but all mothers in all stories, and many family dynamics, wherein there is a matriarch who guides, protects, and eventually departs, leaving the family confused. The story was interesting, and there were many curiosities raised, though this was one of the strongest.