to change his entire lifestyle. He didn't want to just "struggle and survive." Peter didn't want to be average, he wanted to succeed. Finally, in pursuit of his dreams, Peter decided to sneak out of his neighborhood with the help of a white friend. This turned out to be an awful mistake that Peter would regret for as long as he lived. Peter faced even more discrimination and was rejected by the white community, simply because of his color. The story, "Sonny's Blues" is quite similar to "Previous Condition". This story also deals with racial discrimination, self-hate, family issues, and drugs. The character, Sonny, was a younger brother of a teacher. Sonny wanted to escape from the routine pattern of life which everyone in his primarily "black" neighborhood had become accustomed to. Sonny's only dream in life was to become a musician. He loved playing the piano. His brother wanted him to complete his education, while Sonny felt he was ready to be on his own and start taking risks in order to achieve his dreams. Being so young, Sonny was unable to differentiate what path of life was right and what was wrong. Sonny's brother wasn't there to guide Sonny anymore. Sonny chose a lifestyle for himself, full of risk and danger. He began to use drugs and was slowly moving on a path towards self-destruction. Sonny's brother led a more conservative and simply, wholesome life. In conclusion, James Baldwin was a very lively writer, with the gift of being able to express his emotions with a touch of reality. The characters that Baldwin creates portray personalities of people that still live amongst us in this society. Through his stories, Baldwin attempts to convey a message of being true to one's identity and always being proud regardless of what others say. Each person has been created equally, regardless of race, size, age, or religious preference. These differences enhance our world's diversity and add flavor to our lives. This diversity of colors...
