reate another picture of loyalty that actually also relates more to Sonny than his brother. Sonny is quite like Sarty in having to run away from a problem but they both share the same characteristic in whether or not to listen to their family member. In Sonny’s case, it is his brother. His brother wants him to give up what he wants to do and follow in his footsteps, like that of the “American Dream”. Sonny made it clear to his brother that he was making all the decisions about his future, “You decided it,” (P.206). Sonny pointed this out with his brother ignoring his ideas. Sonny is trying really hard to be loyal in his decision to make his brother happy but he cannot because his brother doesn’t try to listen. So he is also torn apart because he loves music and he loves his brother so he has to choose between which one will motivate him more. In the end, he chooses music because it is something that he can always turn to when something bad happens. The unifying theme that runs through “Sonny’s Blues” and “Barn Burning” is “growth through pain”. The events that happen in both stories are different but the fact that both characters grow simultaneously in their minds create a strong bond. Though they do not experience the same things, it matures from a young state of mind to a newer, older identity that takes place. Sarty, as a young boy is forced to grow up at a faster pace than most young boys because he is coerced into making a tough decision to abandon his Father, which is also abandoning his whole family. The brother in “Sonny’s Blues” is already at a reasonable adult age but grows wise because he accepts his brother’s decision to let him live his own life. Both characters go through a great amount of pain in order to reach this understanding of loyalty. Sarty had to let go of his Father and this resulted in the loss of...
