In James Baldwinâs âSonnyâs Bluesâ the narrator, a teacher in a Harlem high school, reconnects with his younger brother, Sonny, a jazz musician. This occurs after Sonny is arrested for peddling and using heroin. A particularly striking passage from the short story is, âSome escaped the trap, most didnât. Those who got out always left something of themselves behind, as some animals amputate a leg and leave it in the trap. It might be said, perhaps, that I had escaped, after all, I was a school teacher; or that Sonny had, he hadnât lived in Harlem for years.â This could mean those who grew up in Harlem and survived or got out of the area left behind their innocence, hope, or the positive aspects of themselves. It is interesting that there are two different types of escape the narrator is referring to in the passage. The first is being unscathed by the pitfalls of growing up in the area. Although the narrator is physically still in Harlem living in the projects, he escaped the detrimental lifestyles present. He became a positive aspect in the community and is successful having a career and a loving family. In contrast, Sonny left Harlem physically but made negative lifestyle choices which resulted in him becoming a drug addict. This brings to mind the saying, âYou can take the boy out of Harlem, but you canât take Harlem out of the boy.â In the case of Sonny, he was a product of his environment and was unable to overcome the challenges Harlem forced him to face.
