James Baldwin's short story "Sonny's Blues" highlights the struggle due to community involvement and individual identity. Baldwin's “main theme—the discovery of identity—is nowhere presented more successfully than in the short story “Sonny's Blues” (Reilly 56). Individuals generate isolation, even persecution, from the dominant collective community. This conflict is illustrated in three ways. First, the story presents Sonny's alienation from his brother, the unnamed narrator. Second, Sonny's legal problems suggest that independence may cause the individual to break the legal conventions of society. Finally, the text draws heavily on biblical influences. Sonny returns to his family just like the prodigal son, after facing heavy trials and being humiliated. The story's allusion to the parable of the prodigal son reflects Baldwin's deep personal interest in Christianity and the Bible. First, Sonny's identity contrasts sharply with that of his brother, the narrator. The most obvious difference between the two is in their names. Sonny's name is prominent and part of the theme of the story. Sonny's brother, on the other hand, is never given a name. Although he is the voice and perspective of the story, the narrator has no distinct identity. He is known only by his relationships with others, his quality as brother, son, husband and father. The author's omission of the brother's name is clearly intentional. By not having a defined identity, the brother establishes himself as the representative of the black community. The narrator is a responsible family man. His work as a high school math teacher illustrates his interest in helping others through education. His decision to marry suggests that he is responsible ... middle of paper ...... he suffers isolation, persecution and imprisonment. However, he finds redemption in his brother's eyes without sacrificing his individualism. Sonny manages to use music to bridge the gap, taking greater responsibility for his reintegration into family and community than the prodigal son. Works Cited Albert, Richard. "The Jazz-Blues Motif in James Baldwin's 'Sonny's Blues,'" College Literature Vol. 11, no. 2 (spring 1984): 178-185. Booth, Alison, Hunter, J. Paul and Mays, Kelly (eds.). The Norton Introduction to Literature, Ninth Edition. New York, NY: WW Norton & Company, 2005. Reilly, John M. “Sonny's Blues: James Baldwin's Image of the Black Community,” Negro American Literature Forum Vol. 4, No. 2 (July 1970): 55-60. Tackach, James. "The Biblical Basis of James Baldwin's 'Sonny's Blues,'" RenascenceVol. 59, no. 2 (2007): 109-117.