(p.398) and then his Father’s “iron-gray brows” (p.402) are portrayed. The words stiff and iron suggest a level of growth for Sarty as he describes his Father. In addition to his obedience, Sarty also has to deal with the physical and emotional abuse from his Father. For example, the night before his family moves into another new place, his Father struck him for wanting to help other people, strangers, instead of his own family. Sarty’s Father striking resembles that of a fire striking him. It is symbolic that his Father goes around burning people’s barns because he is also burning Sarty’s mind. The house that they go and stay at is so huge that he thinks to himself, “They are safe from him. People whose lives are a part of this peace and dignity are beyond his touch…” (p.410). At this point, Sarty expands in growing older because he does not want other people, society, to get hurt as a result of his Father’s actions. In “Sonny’s Blues”, the brother makes connections with his identity therefore changing his own character and matures in the process with the events that happen in the story. In the beginning of the story, he ignores what Sonny wants; never really recognizing Sonny’s passion is music, blues music. Sonny made it clear to his brother that he was the one making decisions about his future. “You decided it” (p.206), Sonny pointed this out with the brother ignoring his ideas. The brother has a problem with Sonny because Sonny does not want to do regular things. Ever since he grew up as a teenager, he never went to school but spent all his time playing piano and going to Greenwich Village, a place where music is lively. The brother actually went to see Sonny play one night, and that night made him grow wise and appreciate the life Sonny wants to have. It all made sense, the brother losing his daughter and accepting the l...
