James Baldwin's “Sonny's Blues” is a story of suffering. Placed in an environment “surrounded by disaster” (Baldwin 1615), the narrator constantly attempts to escape the suffering that surrounds him. He avoids all contact with those around him and disconnects from who he really is. However, it is through his brother, Sonny, that the narrator realizes that running away from his troubles and those of those close to him is not the solution. Sonny's ability to channel his suffering through his music reflects Baldwin's central message that only by finding meaning in suffering can one truly live. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Almost all of the negative aspects of the narrator's life seem to stem from the environment around him – particularly the evils of racial segregation plaguing Harlem. Even if the narrator believes he escaped his education by studying, he also recognizes having “left something… behind him” (1615). The narrator's loss is seen in the monotony of his daily life. He does not believe that his work as a high school teacher had any impact on the racially prejudiced social system of the time, that his students "grow up in haste and that their heads suddenly collide with the low ceiling of their real possibilities" (1610). Sonny also lost a part of himself to his drug addiction, but Sonny's letter to his brother reveals that he feels like his experience with addiction taught him something and gave him purpose. It is here that the reader can see the irony of the brothers' story. The narrator worked hard to get his education but suffered without finding meaning in his life. It is Sonny, the drug-addicted brother, who is able to find meaning and help end the narrator's suffering. The narrator's suffering is directly paralleled with that of his father. The narrator's mother warns him, saying "don't let [Sonny] down, no matter what happens to him and no matter how hard you have with him" (1618). Although the narrator "caught [Sonny] just before his fall as he took his first steps in this world" (1614), he has failed to help his brother since the death of their parents. Similarly, the narrator's father suffered after helplessly witnessing his brother's death. The narrator seems equally helpless shortly after learning of Sonny's heroin use; in fleeing his suffering, the narrator has disconnected himself from those who should be closest, including his brother. Additionally, the narrator also recently lost a close family member, his daughter. These examples make it clear that the way to end the narrator's suffering is to help Sonny and reconnect with his loved ones. Sonny's suffering revolves around his heroin addiction. However, this seems to be a direct consequence of the narrator's lack of presence in Sonny's life. The narrator himself seems to be aware of this, as he states: "I had a lot on my mind and almost forgot my promise to mother until I was sent home with special leave for her funeral” (1618). However, Sonny continues to suffer while the narrator is away, dropping out of school and beginning his heroin addiction while the narrator is abroad. Sonny is ultimately able to channel his suffering through his music, but originally this went against his brother's wishes. At first, the narrator is hesitant to support Sonny's decision; rather, he believes that music is "beneath [Sonny], one way or another" (1619). As the narrator attempts to help Sonny by.