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 problems and those closest to him is not the answer. Sonny's ability to channel his suffering through his music portrays 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Almost every negative aspect of the narrator's life seems to come from his surroundings, particularly the evils of racial segregation that plague Harlem. Although the narrator believes he escaped his upbringing by getting an education, he also acknowledges that he "left something...behind" (1615). The narrator's loss can be seen in the monotony of his daily life. He does not believe that his work as a high school teacher has any impact on the current social system, based on racial prejudices, that his students "grow up quickly and their heads bang sharply against the low ceiling of their real possibilities" (1610) . Sonny has also lost a part of himself to drug addiction, but Sonny's letter to his brother reveals that he feels as if his experience with addiction has taught him something and given him a purpose. This is where 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 manages to find meaning and help end the narrator's suffering. The narrator's suffering directly parallels that of his father. The narrator's mother warns him, saying "don't let [Sonny] fall, no matter what seems to be happening to him and no matter how much harm you may have with him" (1618). Although the narrator "caught [Sonny] just before he fell when he took his first steps into this world" (1614), he failed to help his brother after their parents died. Similarly, the narrator's father suffered after helplessly witnessing his brother's death. The narrator seems similarly helpless shortly after learning of Sonny's heroin use; by running away from his suffering the narrator has disconnected himself from those who should be closest, including his brother. Furthermore, the narrator has also recently lost a close member of his family, his daughter. These examples make it clear that the way to end the narrator's suffering is to help Sonny and reconnect with the people closest to him. Sonny's suffering revolves around his heroin addiction. However, this appears to be a direct result 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 of things on my mind and almost forgot my promise to mother until I was sent home on special leave for her funeral” (1618). However, Sonny continues to suffer while the narrator is away, dropping out of school and starting his heroin addiction while the narrator is abroad. Sonny eventually manages to channel his suffering through his music, but this is originally against his brother's wishes. At first the narrator is reluctant to support Sonny's decision, instead believing that music is "beneath [Sonny], somehow" (1619). While.