Reading Response "Sonny Blues"

Having a younger brother or a younger sibling is sometimes a pain, but at the same time that's the one person that will always be in your life one way or in another. In “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin, I felt a strong connection with the narrator. The short story “Sonny’s Blues” is mostly about the obligation of a older brother taking care of his younger brother.There are many events in the story that an older brother or sister goes through while growing up with their younger siblings. I can relate with the narrator because I myself have a troublesome younger brother. Everything he does is my fault and somehow I'm responsible for his mistakes. It makes you feel guilty and you start to question yourself, what could I have done better?

  Through out the story "Sonny's Blues", the narrator has many flash backs that I can relate to. One event that I can relate to is when the narrator's mother tells the narrator  to watch his younger brother. At that moment his mom is asking him to be his brother's keeper . I can really relate to this because my mother and father is always telling me stories about what happens between siblings and the conflicts which brings consequences. Another event in the story that I can relate to is the strong arguments between the two brothers and how it reaches to the point where Sonny says, "consider me dead." I say this because there comes a point where my brother talks and as an older sister I have to say open your eyes, life isn't that easy. When Sonny leaves Harlem to go to the army, a few years goes by and his brother decides to write him a letter and they work everything out. At the end of the day, me and my brother can argue and fight, but by the time we go to sleep I'm right next to him laughing and joking around.