English Literature

There have been many literary works in the course of history that have previously written stories as their references. New or contemporary literary texts would have their inspiration from other texts such as the ancient or earlier examples, ranging from the Shakespearean texts to the famous Bible. Allusions to different types of texts and literary elements have been in abundance and this is not different concerning the famous short story of James Baldwin when it is compared or juxtaposed with another famous Biblical story, that of the Parable of the Lost or Prodigal Son according to the Gospel of Luke. When compared with each other, it can be seen that the Parable of the Bible is very different from the story of Baldwin and yet there are underlying hints that it is similar or the same. Thus, through this essay, it will be explained that the relationship of the two texts is similar in nature and will prove once and for all, that the similarities of the texts lies in the theme which is the great love of the characters for kinship and salvation will be received from such acknowledgement of kinship.

In the short story of Baldwin (which is quite long and can even take the form of a novella), Sonny is a young man with issues who is just trying to find his niche in this world though his love for performance and music. Sonny and the narrator turn out to be brothers and they have not spoken for years because of the narrators constant nagging and meddling concerning Sonnys future. However, the brothers unite after they are faced with the greater issue that threatens to destroy who they are as individuals the narrators daughter dies of an illness and Sonny is imprisoned because of his habitual drug use. Sonnys impulsive nature and the narrators callous attitude can actually be explained by the plot of the story wherein the parents of the narrator fails to take care of them and they were just left to their own devices. The father is useless and a drunkard while the mother dies early as narrated by the older brother. As the brothers reunite, each appreciates the path that the other has taken even if the narrator does not fully embrace Sonnys love for music in the end, he was able to understand his brother through his music Freedom lurked around us and I understood, at last, that he could help us be free if we would listen (Baldwin 32).

The Parable of the Lost Son or Prodigal Son, on the other hand, is from the Gospel of Luke in the Bible. The parable starts in the youngest of the sons moving out from his fathers home and wasting his time, effort and resources in frolicking which eventually leads him to be so poor that he had to take of pigs. When the son realizes the poor state that he is in, he misses the comfort of his fathers home and decides to go back. Upon returning, the father fully welcomes the lost son with much warm enthusiasm, something which the older brother is disapproval of. The father answers this disapproval with the famous lines of, It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again and was lost, and is found (Web-Ministry 32).

In trying to compare and contrast the two texts, it would be much easier to analyze the literary elements that make the two texts different or similar to one another. There are two literary elements that make the differences and similarities of the texts stand out and they are the characterization of the characters and of course, the theme of the texts or the messages that it is trying to put across. Analysis of these literary elements contribute to the better understanding and appreciation of any literary work and this is also what transpires concerning the text by Baldwin and the text from the Bible.

Firstly, the literary element of the character from Sonnys Blues is different from the Parable because the other focuses on the relationship between brothers while the other centers on the affection of a father towards his son. Though the father fully welcomes the lost son with much enthusiasm, the fact that the narrator has also taken care of Sonny when the narrator is also young makes their relationship very much impacting, poignant and also very touching. The Parable is also absent of certain characters which acts as a foil to the other protagonists in Sonnys Blues such as the wife of the narrator who seem to be cheerful and even smiling while the narrator seem to be agitated with his life and the people around him. In the Parable, it is just the three men who are noted to be of significant importance while in Sonnys Blues, women are given great importance as well the female singer that Sonny listens to, the mother than both abandoned the brothers, the daughter of the narrator who is ill, etc.

The next and last literary element which is also perhaps the most important point in comparison is the themes of the two texts. Murray writes with conviction on what Sonnys Blues is all about and coincidentally, this is also the theme of the story In the world of Sonnys Bluesmans need to find his identity in a hostile society and, in a social situation which invites fatalistic compliance (Murray 353). Likewise, in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the need to find his identity is also the issue of the youngest son. This is why he went out of the world from his fathers home and comforts because he wanted to explore the world on his own and discover his own identity. The bad thing was, like what happened in Sonnys Blues, the youngest son in the Parable discovers not just his identity but ugly truths as well concerning society Sonny is influenced by others to do drugs while the youngest son is influenced to carouse and gamble his resources away.

In conclusion, there are two things which is different and the same about James Baldwins Sonnys Blues and the Parable of the Prodigal Son and they are the literary elements of the character and the theme which is inherent within in the texts. The characters and the characterizations were different when compared to each other and yet there similarities as well like the affection that the other party has for the other person. Moreover, while it may seem that the theme is about forgiving people who have committed an offence, the theme is actually the journey to self-awareness and full realization of identity by the lead charactersand both texts are very similar in this aspect.