Throughout life, ones behavior or attitude is often affected by the environment in which he or she lives. In "Sonny Blues", by James Baldwin, Sonny is surrounded by an urban environment that plays a direct role in determing and shaping his actions and behaviors. This environment includes certain psychological, physical, and emotional components that have a joint influence in molding Sonny's attitude and behavior toward aspects of his life. In particular, it is the community of Harlem, the harsh temptations, and the people with whom Sonny interacts with that contribute to developing his destructive behavior and his negative and hopeless attitude.
             The community of Harlem effects Sonny's destructive behavior and his hopeless attitude due to its overwhelming prevalence and influence on many aspects of Sonny's daily life. This community includes the projects, bars, liquor stores, jazz clubs, drug addicts, school, violence, and delinquent adolescents. This compilation of elements in a community was incredibly difficult for Sonny to live in, especially growing up being a teenager. Everyday outlets that individuals may turn to as an outlet from negative behavior were not available for Sonny. Even his school wasn't an escape from Harlem and the darkness within this urban environment. Outside after school "A teacher would pass through them every now and again, quickly, as though he or she couldn't wait to get out of that courtyard," (Baldwin 271). This typical scene was the physical environment seen daily by such adolescents as Sonny. This community setting serves as a negative reinforcement for Sonny and contributes to his destructive behavior and hopeless attitude. Without a positive and guiding community, as frequently offered by school and after hour activities, Sonny turned to his prevalent urban environment outlet, heroine. Furthermore, "the vivid, killing streets" began to effect Sonny's behavior and eventually corrupted ...