Post 15 | Brothers | A unique take on "Sonny's Blues."

The story of Sonny is a story of brother-ship. It is not told from the standpoint of Sonny but instead the standpoint of his brother. I must add as well that this story is not told in light heart. It is a story that expresses brothers’ care for another brother. Although instead of simply explaining the story I want to hone in on the relationship between the brothers. This story is very dear to me because I have a brother myself. The circumstances set forth within the story are not the same as my circumstances, yet I feel I can relate by understanding what it would feel like to have worries, similar to that of Sonny’s brother. I never had to worry about my brother throwing away his life or holding an addiction to cigarettes, but from personal experience there was a time I was afraid for his life. For a little over a year my brother was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a form of cancer. Thankfully he is completely healed not, but nevertheless when reading this story I was almost able to relate with Sonny’s brother in having a feeling of deep care for someone else that stemmed not from selfish intentions, yet from a heart of love. The only difference in the stories brothers’ case in this story was his fear for his brother throwing away his life; mine was from my brother loosing his. These are very different concepts, but the feelings both boil down to a care that is like none other. A feeling that brings you to your knees in prayer. This prayer by the way is not simply an act of ritual to offer up our loved ones to God, it is truly a prayer of desperation. A prayer that is prayed when unthinkable circumstances present themselves. On page 396 Sonny’s brother expresses his care unknowingly when having a serious talk with Sonny about his life. He says, “Well, then, for Christ’s sake, stop kidding around and answer a serious question. I mean, do you want to be a concert pianist.” Again, my brother’s life was not similar to the character in a sense of loss of purpose. I am simply expressing I can correlate the feelings felt between Sonny’s brother of care and myself.