Summary Paper

Summary Paper

Introduction

My name is Sergio Grima. I was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil. My parents got divorced in 1992. After the divorce, my father moved away from us. I have two brothers who were raised by me and my mother together. They are Diano, aged 20 and Antonio, aged 27. We are very close and attached to each other. About 10 years ago, I moved to USA in New York. Now, I live in Cleveland, Ohio. I have worked in a restaurant as a cook and dishwasher. Currently, I am employed as Correctional Officer at Lorain Correction Institution in Ohio since 2004. I have a family with which I am very close to. I have a daughter who is 5 years old. My life revolves around my family, work and school. The aim of the paper is to relate my personal life and responsibilities to oneself and society with the work of James Baldwin's “Sonny's Blues”. I would be relating and linking my work, individual and social responsibility with the themes and ideas of the work of “Sonny's Blues”. I will discuss the relation between my lives with the theme of “Sonny's Blues” (Clark, 2004).

Discussion

My work, social & individual responsibility related to the “Sonny's Blues”

At an adolescent age, when a child needs one's family the most, my parents got divorced. Being the eldest son, I had the responsibility of rising up my brothers and helping my family. I supported my brothers and my mother. I did the best I could to make my mother strong and eliminate any problems she faced for the growth and support of my brothers. As the eldest son, my only support would have been my father, if he would been here. He moved far away and stayed out of contact. My two brothers grew well, and we all were very attached to one another. My individual responsibilities were not only to my education, life and career but also towards my brothers' education, life and career and my mother's life, as well. I had a tough and hardworking childhood where I was striving with my education and my family. We shifted from Brazil to New York. Currently, my residence is in Ohio. I have worked as a cook and dishwasher in a restaurant. Since 2004, I am employed in Correction Institution as Correctional Officer. I am married and have a daughter aged 5 years. My life now revolves around my responsibilities towards my family and my career (McBride, 1999).

The main story of “Sonny's Blues” is related from the view of an elder brother. How the elder brother is not very close to his younger brother and he suddenly comes to know about his drug addiction, buying and selling of heroin. The story elaborates the journey of the narrator of how he comes close to his brother, what relationship they had in the past, how their family broke and how he came to admire his brother Sonny of what he was. The narrator discusses his brother's life ...