Responsibility

“Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin is filled with ethical responsibility. Sonny’s brother is the main focus of the story. However, Baldwin did not reveal his name which adds to the focus of his responsibility instead of his identity. Sonny and his brother grew up in Harlem where opportunity is rare. It is hard to move up in society from Harlem. Most children in Harlem have their dreams and goals crushed at an early age. Sonny was no different.

When Sonny’s dad died, Sonny’s mother told his brother to look after Sonny and not to let anything happen to him. She revealed that his uncle had died, and his father had never been the same. Sonny’s brother had the responsibility of his mother’s desire for him to look after Sonny.

Sonny’s brother felt responsible for the children in the neighborhood in Harlem. Although he received an education and became an algebra teacher, he never left his old neighborhood. He wanted to make a difference and help those students that the world had forgotten.

Sonny wanted to escape from Harlem. He tried to make a living playing Blues on the piano, but no one took this aspiration seriously. When he fell into despair, he turned to drugs. Sonny and his brother lost contact, but Sonny’s brother read about Sonny’s arrest which was drug related in the paper. His sense of failed responsibility over Sonny’s arrest was strong.

When Sonny was released from prison, his brother took up the responsibility once again. He insisted that Sonny reside with him and his wife until he completed an education. Once again, Sonny’s ambitions to play the piano were not taken seriously. Sonny started playing blues on the piano at a bar. This was his release from the past and from his drug addiction.

Sonny’s brother finally accompanied him to hear him play the blues. The realization of Sonny’s talent and ability to speak to people through his music brought an understanding to Sonny’s brother. The responsibility that Sonny’s brother felt for Sonny was finally turning into respect and admiration for his brother. He knew that Sonny was going to be alright, and he knew that Sonny needed to follow his dreams.

The ethical issues in “Sonny’s Blues” include the issues of poverty, racism, and crime in Harlem. The drug use by Sonny and his incarceration is another ethical issue in this story. The responsibility Sonny’s brother felt towards his family and his community were another ethical issue. Baldwin wove these issues into “Sonny’s Blues” to show the disparity as well as the hope that abounds in our lives.

Sipiora, Phillip. “Sonny’s Blues.” Reading and Writing about Literature. Pearson Education, Inc., 2002. 79-99.

Frozen Tomb

Jack London’s “To Build a Fire” displayed one man’s cultural shock which led to his death. People and animals adapt to their culture and habitat. When we venture outside of our familiar surroundings, we find that many things are different. Climate is a huge variable that affects our habitat and culture. The man in London’s story was traveling with only a dog along the Yukon trail. The temperature was around -75 degrees. The man was warned by the “old timer” as well as his dog, but he did not heed their warnings. Instead, his culture, the culture of the dog and the “old timer,” as well as the culture of the Yukon went to battle.

The “old timer” was familiar with the area. He advised the man not to travel alone when the temperature was low. Because the “old timer” was of the area, his cultural knowledge was that of the dangers present. The dog was had reservations about traveling in the cold whether as well. The dog’s instincts told him that it was not wise because the temperatures were too low. However, the dog was loyal to the man because of his fear of being whipped. The dog reluctantly followed the man on his journey.

The Yukon was a culture of its own. Even though it was not a living creature, it had more destructive ability than any other creature present. The snow covered patches of thin ice which led to freezing water. The snow made it harder to find wood to burn and harder to keep fires burning when the wood was available. The wind added to the chill. The temperature caused tobacco juice to freeze on the man’s face when he tried to expectorate. The Yukon does not take prisoners, it enforces the death penalty.

The man traveling through the Yukon had tunnel vision. He saw things but did not perceive their threat until it was too late. He thought that he was invincible. His culture up until that point had brought him to this belief. He did not heed the warnings of the “old timer” possibly thinking that the man was old and did not remember the strength of his younger years. He did not care enough about the dog to notice his reluctance and take warning from it.

In the end, the Yukon took his life. Slowly, his extremities froze causing his inability to start the life saving fire he craved. Once he realized he was going to die if he did not find warmth, he thought of killing his only companion, the dog, in order to use his skin as protection. However, because of his prior cruel treatment of the dog, he was unable to get the dog to trust him enough to steal his warmth. When he did get the dog, he was unable to hold anything to use to remove the skin because the Yukon had stolen his use of his fingers. In the end, he continued to freeze until the life left his body. The culture of the Yukon won over the invincible culture of the man when all was said and done.

Sipiora, Phillip. “To Build a Fire.” Reading and Writing about Literature. Pearson Education, Inc., 2002. 149-158.

'Till Death Do Us Part

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin depicts the gender relationships surrounding marriage. In marriage, the typical role of the wife was to care for the home, children, cooking, cleaning, shopping, and anything else the husband desires. The role of a man is to work and support the family. The man is the king of the home and makes the decisions.

There are four characters in “The Story of an Hour” including Josephine, Richards, Brently Mallard, and Louise Mallard – the main character. Josephine (Louise’s sister) and Richards (Brently’s friend) deliver the news of Mr. Mallard’s death to Mrs. Mallard expecting her to be devastated by the news. In the beginning of the story, Chopin depicts Mrs. Mallard as being frail because of her heart condition. The heart condition simply magnifies Mrs. Mallard’s fragility due to her gender. Josephine frets over Mrs. Mallard assuming that she is breaking down emotionally from the tragic news. Richards felt a duty to be there for Mrs. Mallard in her time of need.

Originally, Mrs. Mallard was shocked and distressed by the news of her husband’s demise. However, once alone she began to look forward to her freedom from the bondage of marriage. Women were expected to be married to a man or to the church. It was improper for women to be unchaperoned if they were single. Being a widow would give Mrs. Mallard a freedom which she had never experienced. The duties of being a wife could be overwhelming. Mrs. Mallard no longer had to worry about these things. She could cook what she wanted for dinner. She could sit up as late as she wanted. She could go wherever she wanted. She did not have to dress up unless it suited her.

When Mr. Mallard walked through the door, it was the end of her. Chopin did not give us enough details to know why Mrs. Mallard had a heart attack and died. We could surmise that she died from the shock of seeing a ghost, from relief at her husband being alive, or from despair at her dream of freedom being demolished.

We do know that gender played a huge role in this story. Gender is the main reason for Mrs. Mallard’s assumed frailty. Gender is the reason she was excited about freedom. A man would not need to be released from freedom to live life for themselves. In the end, Mrs. Mallard was free from her marriage, just not the way she had thought.

Sipiora, Phillip. “The Story of an Hour.” Reading and Writing about Literature. Pearson Education, Inc, 2002. 199-200.