Aesthetics of “medias res” in “Sony’s Blues”
Written in a non-chronological order, “Sony’s Blues” is narrated from the person perspective, in which the author alternates events from the past and the present through flashbacks. In his narration, Baldwin expresses himself by jumping to and fro from flashbacks. At the beginning of the story, the reader is introduced to the author’s brother, arrested on the grounds of drug possession. The author employs the art of incorporating important events, which are sections of a chain of related events. A presented scenario is an extension of events that have previously occurred, with the author later developing the actions.
Consequently, the author then directly incorporates external retrospection as he exposes events that had earlier occurred. External retrospection provides insights on events whose timeline is outside that if the narration (Phala and Mojalefa 62). Through this, the author manages to amplify his characters, as he provides insights into the character’s motivations and past.
The nature in which the author presents his narration is fundamental, as he provides the reader with an opportunity to sympathize with the brother. The beginning of the story immediately portrays Sony’s misfortunes as a bother to his brother. However, as the narration progress, crucial information is unraveled, which allows the reader to relate Sony’s behavior to his past childhood experiences. The out-of-sequence narration creates suspense as one reads through, provoking the reader’s curiosity to engage the work further. As I read through the narration, flashbacks paint a vivid picture of Sony’s current life, concerning his past, which aided in my interpretation of the story. While the story concludes, Sony performs on stage while his brother watches, enjoying the profound salvation through music. At this point in the story, a store of understanding and sympathy has been built within a reader, making the ending triumphant.
Work cited
Phala, R. S., and M. J. Mojalefa. “The technique of flashback in selected Northern Sotho literary texts.” Literator: Journal of Literary Criticism, Comparative Linguistics, and Literary Studies 26.2 (2005): 59-81.