Sonny, in James Baldwin's Sonn

             Sonny, in James Baldwin's Sonny's Blues"
             Emily, in William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily",
             Have Instinctive Solutions To the Confines of A Complex World
             Both characters, Sonny, in James Baldwin's "Sonny's Blues" and Emily in William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" have instinctive solutions to the confines of a complex world. Emily's father raises her properly and she must to continue this standard, even after his tragic death. In contrast to her situation, Sonny grows up in a very different time and social class. Expectations do not confine him as much as the negative temptations around him. They unfortunately lose their parents, who are very prominent in each of their lives. Despite all their efforts, their hopes for their children are not fate. Because of the death of their parents', they lack the direction and guidance they need and feel lost in a difficult world. They feel pressure from people outside their lives and adapt to their environment. While Sonny satisfies his emptiness with music, then drugs, then music again, Emily must suppress her wants and her frustrations inevitably surface in a disturbing manner. They are looking for a reality that is unobtainable through the methods they conceive.
             The world around Emily is "genteel", though among all of the heritage and tradition, it is not pristine. The simplicity of tradition is controlling and restricting to her. Her "iron-gray" hair is symbolic of her will to continue the illusion of her dignity. She exhausts her memories and deserts any prior aspirations. When she murders Homer, she is not infatuated or in love with him, it is not about him at all. Clearly, she is as desperate as Sonny is and her solution is both immature and unethical.
             Sonny has the freedom to roam where he wants to, because he is ol
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Sonny, in James Baldwin's Sonn. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 13:58, March 28, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/75653.html