Sonny's Blues

#1
1.Research the setting of Sonny Blues- Harlem, New York
* Harlem is located in New York City the borough of Manhatten. From the 1920's Harlem was a prodominately African American neighborhood. Harlem is named after the city of Haarlem in Netherlands. In Harlem crime rate was very high and poverty was very bad.

2. How does the setting affect/shape Sonny's character and create conflict/complications in the story
* The setting affects Sonny's Character because Harlem, New York is a rough neighborhood to live in especially for children who can not grow up in a safe neighborhood and children gets in a lot of trouble. It creates conflict and complications in Sonny's life because Sonny can not have a great day if someone is always trying to bother him.

#2

1. Research the history of African-American men in the military – Pre-Civil
Rights movement.
*

2. Why is it ironic that Sonny wants to enlist
* Sonny wants to enlist in the army because he wants to get out of Harlem, and he wants to be a musician,but he does not want to finish school. and his brother is saying that he is crazy for thinking of joining the army and he was looking at Sonny with crazy looks.

#3

1.Research song lyrics by Billie Holiday. Find a song or verse that you feel best
represents the suffering of Sonny – his blues. Include song title and lyrics here.
* George and Ira Gershwin

A foggy day, in London town

It had me low, and it had me down

I viewed the morning, with much alarm

The British Museum, had lost its charm

How long I wondered, could this thing last

But the age of miracles, it hadn't past

And suddenly, I saw you standing right there
And in foggy London town, the sun was shining everywhere

2.Explain why?

* The lyrics relates to Sonny because at the time when he was living in Harlem he felt very low and down. what Sonny went through he probably felt how long is his problems going to last.

#4

1. Research Bebop
* Bebop started in the 1940's, bebop is a style of jazz music. when bebop is played it is usually played in big bands. Samll bands usually consist of four to six players, and big bands usually consists of ten or more players in the band.

2.Bebop is the music that Sonny favors. What does the music represent
politically and socially to Sonny? What does the music represent to Sonny’s
brother?

* How the music represent to Sonny's brother is that he really love music and that he wants to play with jazz musicians