Diandra Dominguez

Professor Bonaparte

Introductory to Literary Genres

March 16, 2010

"Sonny's Blues"

The setting of Sonny's blues is Harlem NYC, the city that never sleeps. New york city will always live up to its name even before my time. From experience I can begin to tell you that new york's environment is the most unpredictable. The atmosphere is free and so diverse. You will be naive if you believe that the things that happen there are ordinary. This particular setting shaped Sonny's character by influencing his state of mind. New york is very fast paced, this might of helped him become more independent and develop and quicker train of thought.

African american men in the military pre- civil rights movement was a really big deal at the time. It changed the military forever, and they were proud. it was a way of segregation going away without really going away. It was the start of something big, it was basically the beginning of an interracial world. The military is a main option for men especially when they want to become something of structure and discipline and I'm sure at that time it was an option for few, and mandatory for most. It seems ironic for Sonny to want to join he military because his brother was in the military, and they were obviously complete opposites. Sonny was into music, he wouldn't be able to follow his dream of playing music in the military. Sonny sounded almost as if he felt like he was not going to amount to anything, and it was impossible for him to find something he was good at, him going to the military was a last resort. But his brother had something to say very quickly to stop him. He told him that the military was not going to let him accomplish what he really wants. He wanted more for Sonny. He had a lot of faith in him.

Them that's got shall get

Them that's not shall lose
So the Bible said and it still is news
Mama may have, Papa may have
But God bless the child
that's got his own
That's got his own

Yes, the strong gets more
While the weak ones fade
Empty pockets don't ever make the grade
Mama may have, Papa may have
But God bless the child
that's got his own
That's got his own

These are the Billie Holiday lyrics i chose i feel that Sonny can relate because he thought he was so grown up all the time, he never wanted anybody to worry about him. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqaFkC0EMmQ) I read the lyrics first and i liked them right away but once i heard this song it was so soothing and i feel like even if i wasn't blue i can relate, thats how beautiful Billie sings.

Bebop is a type of jazz, it was developed in the early and mid 40's. there was a huge difference between bebop and swing music,but it was a good different and people loved it. Music is a freedom of speech with rules what so ever. It is a very fine art. And all music is unique in its own way. It is ones escape to somewhere different with no boundaries. And thats where Sonny's music took him, to another place. It expressed who he was since he could never say it out loud. Bebop took them both to a place in time where everything was ok. Sonny's brother began to think about his daughter. The music Sonny was playing was so beautiful and it touched the both of them, it definitely brought them closer together.