Sonny Questions

Sonny’s Blues Questions

1. From whose point of view "Sonny's Blues" told? How do the narrator's values and experiences affect his view of the story?

The point of view is from Sonny’s brother. His dislike for Sonny shapes how he views the story.

2. What is the older brother's profession? Does it suggest anything about his personality?

His brother teaches Algebra. This means he probably has a very strict attitude toward Sonny and life in general, as math is an exact science.

3. How would the story change if it were told by Sonny?

Sonny would most likely be portrayed in a more positive light, and be more easy to identify with.

4. What event prompts the narrator to write his brother?

He gets into some trouble and that makes him write Sonny.

5. What does the narrator's mother ask him to do for Sonny? Does the older brother keep his promise?

She tells him of his father’s brother and asked him to look after Sonny. He tries to.

6. The major characters in this story are called Mama, Daddy, and Sonny. How does these names affect our sense of the story?

They are very general names, given based on their relationship to one another. She makes the story more general and easy to relate to.

7. How has Sonny made this music his own?

It exemplifies who he is. Once he started playing it himself, he truly found out who he is, and made the music his own.