Sonny's Blues

Sonny's Blues is a short story that focuses on the struggles of the narrator's brother, Sonny, growing up in Harlem. The narrator spends the majority of the story reminiscing on several not so fond memories of his past with his brother after reading in the newspaper of his brother's recent arrest. The narrator recollects on the tension between him and his brother ever since their parents death, recalling the hateful letter he received from Sonny years before, as well as countless arguments and misfortunes in their life leading up to years without communication.
The story concludes with the narrator picturing a happier moment with his brother when he watched Sonny play piano with a friend at a local club. At that moment, the narrator realized and accepted Sonny's true talent in life of playing the piano. He bought Sonny a drink, and the two shared a moment of acknowledgement of each other's differences. This conclusion of the novel brought the story to a close in peace.
Overall, the theme of the story seemed to dwell on accepting others, no matter the circumstances and differences. While Sonny and his brother agreed on very little, they eventually were able to come to terms with their differences, bringing the story to a happier close, greatly contrasting the otherwise gloomy mood of the story of the brothers' lives.