It’s a well known fact that authors use their stories and characters to illustrate or critique society. Alongside these critiques from the author, viewing these stories through a psychoanalytic lens can reveal much more about the characters within the story. For example Freud explains an idea called the Ego, and this is where you balance the outside world and your morally ambiguous impulses otherwise known as the Id. These two concepts shine within a short story called Sonny’s Blues. The short story is by James Baldwin in which he critiques society for how hard it is to break free from being a victim of your environment; viewing the story through a Freudian lens, Sonny uses his artistic ability to break free from what is considered the norm for young black men living in Harlem.

In Sonny’s Blues, Sonny breaks the standard for black men who live in Harlem. Throughout the story there is a constant theme of knowing what happens to young black men when they grow up. The typical expectations of these boys living in Harlem, is they would be consumed by drugs, like Sonny. According to the 2016 NSDUH, 20.4% (6 million) of African Americans reported using illicit drugs which was higher than the national average at 18.2%. Living in Harlem increases the probability of falling into drug use compared to anywhere else, especially since there was an epidemic in the 50’s. Sonny’s brother is constantly mentioning how “the way kids can, so quick, so quick, especially in Harlem” (Baldwin, 123) fall in the pit of drug use. Throughout his life, Sonny was faced with drug consumption and the harsh reality that’s against him. For example, his uncle got murdered by a bunch of drunk white men who didnt bother to stop and check on him; “ the car kept on a-going and it ain’t stopped till this day” (Baldwin, 132). The man who murdered him has never been found and brought to justice. This just shows one of the ways the world is against black men. 

In Harlem especially in the 50’s there was a heroin epidemic that swept the community. “During the late 1950’s, we cops watched in frustration as an epidemic of heroin addiction swept a community where limited opportunities created a fertile climate for escaping reality through drugs.” Sonny mentioned wanting to leave Harlem to get away from all of the drugs. Later in the story he mentions how heroin made him feel warm/cool and in control. He compared these feelings to a woman’s voice (Baldwin 142). Music once again was able to bring him to the same high he achieved with heroin without actually having to use the drug. Music is a key part to the bonding of the two brothers and a key part to Sonny’s rehabilitation as it was his substitute for heroin. At the end of the story, Sonny was performing jazz while his brother was watching from the audience. His brother became emotional during the performance as Sonny evoked such a strong feeling while playing the piano (Baldwin 148). At that moment, Sonny’s brother was finally able to see how, “Everything had been burned out of it, and, at the same time, things usually hidden were being burned in, by the fire and fury of the battle which was occurring in him up there” (Baldwin 147). While playing, Sonny played with his raw emotions and was able to elicit the same from his brother. Sonny possessed the artistic gift which allowed him to rehabilitate himself through the power of music.  Without his artistic gift, Sonny would have gone back into the use of drugs, and would be another statistic and fall back into the standard cycle those in Harlem face; “he can escape the doom of neurosis and by this roundabout path regain his contact with reality”(Freud, 2235). Unlike Sonny, his old friend had succumbed to the harsh reality of living in Harlem and was unable to overcome his addiction (Baldwin 124-125).

As previously mentioned, Sonny possessed what Freud would call an ‘artistic gift’ and throughout the story, many more psychoanalytic concepts were present. For example the idea of the Id, Ego, and Superego in which Freud believed is what made up the mind. The Id is all of the dark impulses we have, “It is the dark, inaccessible part of our personality”. The Ego is the balance between the Id and Superego while also factoring in the external world. The Superego acts as almost a parental figure to the ego and essentially keeps it in check (Freud). Sonny’s brother was filled with dilemma after dilemma through the entire short story. One example of this is when he wanted to search through Sonny’s belongings, scared of what he might find but ultimately decided against this invasion of privacy (Baldwin 140). This dilemma shows how his Ego and Id were battling it out to see if he would do it. This urge to want to search his brother’s room comes from his Id, the lack of action comes from the superego as “it represents the claims of morality”(Freud). 

As Sonny’s older brother, he would be concerned for Sonny’s wellbeing and safety. But even with this, he would also look down on his brother and try to forget the struggles that came with him.“I believe not,” he said and smiled, “but that’s never stopped anyone from trying.” He[Sonny] looked at me[Sonny’s brother]. “Has it?’” (Baldwin 143). This goes to show how his brother was constantly trying to pretend nothing was wrong and avoiding accepting the truth. This directly relates to Sonny’s brother’s superego and ego. According to Freud “For after a certain number of months the whole moral fuss is over, the criticism of the super-ego is silent, the ego is rehabilitated and again enjoys all the rights of man till the next attack.” While Sonny was in jail, his brother’s ego was rehabilitated and was attacked once he saw the paper stating Sonny’s release. This is when the thought of Sonny caused his brother to be weak aka “the next attack” as Freud would call it. Like his brother, Sonny was also in a constant battle with his ego. Sonny’s drug problem not only stemmed from his environment, but also from within. Drugs are notoriously known for being addictive. Heroin is not shy of this idea so it’s no surprise when Sonny became addicted. But because of this addiction he was constantly battling against himself; “And other times – well, I needed a fix, I needed to find a place to lean, I needed to clear a space to listen – and I couldn’t find it, and I – went crazy, I did terrible things to me, I was terrible for me” (Baldwin 144). This would be a melancholic attack and “during a melancholic attack his super-ego becomes over-severe, abuses the poor ego, humiliates it and ill-treats it, threatens it with the direst punishments” (Freud). His superego was making things worse which was a constant loop alongside his addiction.

“Sonny’s Blues” critiques a society of those who fall victim to their environment are stuck within a constant drug addicted loop. Throughout the story, the brothers are able to overcome these hardships all through music and forgiveness. While looking at the story through a Freudian lens, we can see how the characters work mentally and how this affects their personality and the way they act with the world. Even with all these hardships, Sonny was able to overcome his drug problem, and his brother was finally able to see him for who he really was and all the hardships he went through.

Works Cited

Baldwin, James. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. https://uwm.edu/cultures-communities/wp-content/uploads/sites/219/2018/01/SonnysBlues.Baldwin.pdf.

Freud, Sigmund. The Dissection of the Psychical Personality. https://tcf-website-media-library.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/20131937/The-Dissection-of-the-Psychical-Personality-NILP-Lecture-31.pdf.

Freud, Sigmund. “[PDF] Five Lectures on Psycho-Analysis: Semantic Scholar.” Undefined, https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Five-lectures-on-psycho-analysis-Freud/b446cfb00094a2e62f82e8c8e430581891ca4e47.

McNamara, Joseph. “The War the Police Didn’t Declare and Can’t Win.” Cato.org, https://www.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/pictures/drugwarevent/mcnamara.html.

Reviewed by Michael Kaliszewski, PhDLast Updated: July 29. “Substance Abuse Statistics for African Americans.” American Addiction Centers, 29 July 2020, https://americanaddictioncenters.org/rehab-guide/addiction-statistics/african-americans.