Question

In the story, "sonnys blues", why does sonny insist on playing the piano? what does it mean to him? what does it mean to the narrator and why?

Answer 1

Sonny’s piano playing helps him deal with his problems, his suffering. He works out his problems by playing the piano. The narrator does not realize this at all until he actually hears him play the piano. It is only them that he sees both the problems that Sonny is trying to overcome and also his triumph. This is important for understanding how much Sonny playing the piano represents light and dark, triumph over chaos. The narrator thinks about his own life and realizes that suffering is a universal experience. Without suffering, people probably would never understand happiness or joy. Sonny’s music offers hope to the narrator and to the reader.


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