Sonny's Blues begins with an unnamed narrator talking about this boy named Sonny, who we find out is his brother, who was arrested after being caught selling and using heroin , which they call is "horse". The narrator, Sonny's brother, goes on to think about the students in the class he teaches, talking about how there are so many things that could happen to these kids, they could end up like his brother, arrested and involved with drugs or they could end up with a good future. Regardless, talking and thinking about his brother throughout the story reminds him of the possibilities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the story you learn about a tragic death that occurred in the narrator's life and everything Sonny did to become who he is, and every decision he made, and as the narrator watches what Sonny does, he becomes more understanding of why Sonny did what he did in his life, making him realize who he is as they say on page 308 when he gives his brother a cup of scotch. This story was written from the first person point of view through Sonny's brother. I think just seeing things from the brother's point of view is a little disappointing, considering that if you could also see what's happening from Sonny's point of view you could probably better understand the theme of the story and also what the brother means by I'm there “limited opportunities” they might have after school. Seeing things from more than one person is very helpful, especially in this case. The theme of this story is the recovery these brothers recovered from after facing so many problems in Harlem in the 1950s. These brothers face many difficulties during their youth, such as drugs and poverty. From what I have seen these things have influenced the brothers in the type of path they undertake. Sonny got involved with all the drugs and music because he wanted to escape the reality around him. His brother, however, took up the path of education to escape his surroundings and became a polite and respectful husband and father. The most important part of the theme, at least in my opinion, is the recovery that these kids make considering how well these brothers recovered from all those difficulties that they ended up facing. Their ending worked out great with Sonny's brother finally understanding why Sonny took the path he chose, and him, understanding Sonny's path, opening his mind to a better understanding of himself. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay As I read Sonny's Blues, there was a connection that I kept making. Throughout the story, I continued to maintain a connection to The Great Gatsby because of the way people behaved. They chose their paths based on how they wanted to escape their surroundings. Most took the path Sonny did with drugs and music instead of getting the education Sonny's brother took to become a teacher.