Sonny’s Blues

by

James Baldwin

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Sonny’s Blues makes teaching easy.

Sonny’s Friend Character Analysis

Sonny’s friend is, like Sonny, an addict in Harlem. The narrator recognizes him because he’s always on the streets asking for money. At the beginning of the story, Sonny’s friend tracks down the narrator to tell him about Sonny’s arrest, and in the course of their conversation Sonny’s friend is able to elicit compassion from the narrator for Sonny’s plight, even though it doesn’t inspire him to reach out to Sonny in jail.
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Sonny’s Friend Character Timeline in Sonny’s Blues

The timeline below shows where the character Sonny’s Friend appears in Sonny’s Blues. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Sonny’s Blues
Family Bonds Theme Icon
...the courtyard of the school, he sees someone he mistakes for Sonny—but it’s actually a childhood friend of Sonny’s that the narrator dislikes because he’s always high and asking for money, although the narrator... (full context)
Cycles of Suffering Theme Icon
Family Bonds Theme Icon
Passion, Restraint, and Control Theme Icon
The narrator and Sonny’s childhood friend walk together to the subway. They talk about what happened to Sonny, and the narrator... (full context)
Cycles of Suffering Theme Icon
Family Bonds Theme Icon
The narrator wants to ask Sonny’s friend more questions, but knows he couldn’t bear the answers. The man tells the narrator that... (full context)