An Investigation of Empathy in James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”

Abstract

This master’s thesis aims to look at how empathy is thematized in James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues.” To do this, the thesis will start by introducing affect theory. Affect aims to put emotions back into the study of literature. Emotions become even more important because of the notion of empathy. Empathy is the ability to imagine oneself in somebody else’s shoes. Baldwin’s short story invites empathetic responses in its readers, by using narrative techniques such as first-person narration, symbolism and thematizing empathy in the text through topics such as poverty, drug addiction, music as a language of its own and silences. The readers are urged to undergo the same change as the narrator, as he transitions from feeling pity for those who are less fortunate, to having empathetic responses towards his brother and people similar to him. Baldwin’s writing constitutes an effort to make readers able to identify with people who are outcasts in society.