The story “Sonny's Blues” is about two brothers who face racism. In dealing with their problems they both suffer and survive in their family and community. Their stories have a strong impact on their character and how they deal with pain. Sonny chooses more harmful means of racism, such as drug addiction to heroin; even if he finds a better choice of music! The narrator's older brother, James Baldwin, goes to college to become a teacher and give back to his Harlem community. The narrator overcomes suffering and hardship in an attempt to adapt to white society. Sonny and the narrator find different means of dealing with their racism. Even though both brothers take different paths in their lives and ultimately feel they are true to themselves, Follow your dreams! Sonny tries to escape racism with his music, but his brother feels he needs better means to provide for himself (99). She tries to get her point across to James and he replies that there's no way not to suffer, it's no better than just putting up with it. (105) Sonny seeks ways to combat drug use; it even enters service. He struggles with his suffering and tries to escape the ghetto, but drugs seem to be the way he fits into his troubled society, so he becomes one of society. His realistic method of dealing with pain and suffering is to deal and use heroin; so he ends up in prison. During his imprisonment he starts working on his music, so when he gets out he has a career. During his time in prison, the blues seems to be the music he can identify with and that helps him with his pain and suffering. Sonny realizes that music has a much better impact on his life than his heroin addiction. Music has always been at the heart of the civil rights movement. This story presents different aspects of the brothers' lives and how they chose to deal with racism. The story also tells us how both brothers resolve their racism issues and are in a relationship again. Sonny struggles with his racism at first, drops out of school, enters the military, gets involved with drugs, spends time in prison, and then finally finds his outlet in music. He feels that the blues represents the common ways of black Americans in their suffering and problems they have in white society. Unlike Sonny, however, James chooses a quieter way to live in a racist world and this was his lesson. Music is what finally brings the brothers together and helps them cope with the racism during that time. Both brothers believe that no matter what struggles we endure in life, always be true to yourself and follow your dreams. Word count: 1009