Minor Characters and Their Influence in "Sonny's Blues"

In “Sonny’s Blues,” by James Baldwin, there are minor character’s that help to move and affect the protagonists in this story, Sonny and, his older brother, the narrator. Two main ones being Isabel and Creole act upon and have much influence upon both characters and their actions.

Isabel, who is the Narrator’s wife throughout the story stays behind when the Narrator leaves for war in the Army. She and her family watch over Sonny and give him residence when the two brothers’ mother dies. While at Isabel’s house, Sonny has free reign over the family piano, and becomes less human to them, but a force, a sound, because of his constant pounding of the keys. This will help him to develop into the fine musician he will become later in life. After a spat about skipping school with Isabel and her family, Sonny runs away to the Army. Later, after returning home and after Sonny’s stay at the drug rehabilitation facility, Isabel welcomes Sonny back with open arms and comforts him and initiates him back into the family life with kindness and hospitality.

Isabel also affects the narrator because she is his wife, and wives usually have a say in most matters of the family. She is encouraging of the narrator and assures him when Sonny comes to live with them with her kindness and humility towards the situation.

Creole is a driving force behind Sonny and his artistic ability as a jazz performer. He is the leader of the band and has taught and learned much also from Sonny. Creole is an exemplification of a person living the jazz performer life and all that goes along with it. Sonny enters into this groove again when he rejoins the band, but had been forced to live the way he might not have, or felt unnatural, whilst away.

Creole shows the narrator what Jazz is all about with its improvisations, and the bouncing back and forth between the musicians’ artistic renderings in which they respond back to. This understanding gives the narrator a final realization of what jazz means to his brother and he experiences it first hand in the band’s performance.