Sonny's Blues is set in Harlem in the 1950s. Both the location and the historical setting are extremely important in relation to the themes explored by the book. The 1950s was a decade of enormous social change for African Americans. The nascent civil rights movement had scored a major victory in overturning segregation in the landmark Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. At the same time, growing numbers of African...
Sonny's Blues is set in Harlem in the 1950s. Both the location and the historical setting are extremely important in relation to the themes explored by the book. The 1950s was a decade of enormous social change for African Americans. The nascent civil rights movement had scored a major victory in overturning segregation in the landmark Supreme Court ruling of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. At the same time, growing numbers of African Americans migrated north to escape widespread prejudice in the South and to seek out employment opportunities. The populations of Northern and Midwestern cities grew rapidly as a consequence.
In the 1950s Harlem was the epicenter of a vibrant African American culture, especially in relation to various kinds of music. The importance of music in Harlem culture is reflected in Sonny's becoming a jazz pianist. But the 1950s setting also allows Baldwin to explore wide facets of the African American experience. As well as the richness and vibrancy of Harlem's cultural scene, we're also introduced to the seamier side of life—the drugs, the prejudice, the poverty, the lack of opportunity, the atomized nature of big city life.
In the character of the unnamed author, Sonny's brother, we're further provided with a glimpse into the lives of the growing black middle class. Sonny's brother is a math teacher with a stable family and a good standard of living. The contrast between his life and that of his drug addict criminal brother adds depth to the portrayal of a significant era in the history of African Americans.
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