https://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/wooda/2B-HUM/Readings/Baldwin-Sonnys-Blues.pdf

James Baldwin, Sonnys Blues:

There are several descriptions of Harlem throughout the story. The characters often talk about trying to run away from Harlem or to retrieve those pieces of themselves that remain a part of it. In many senses, the city becomes a character itself that is inextricably a part of the way Sonny and his brother establish identity and define their relationships with others. In a thesis-driven essay, respond to the following question: In Sonnys Blues, how does Harlem shape and reflect the lives of Sonny and his family?