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Mrs.House/Ms.Smart
English2H,Period5
31January2016
TDQ:SonnysBlues
AfteryoufinishreadingSonnysBlues,analyzethemotifof
music
or
lightness/darkness
.Considerthe
effectofyourchosenmotifandanalyzethiseffectinaparagraphwithtwodirectquotations.Choosefrom
thefollowingtopicsentences:
InJamesBaldwinsSonnysBlues,themotifof__________________withinthestory...
createsa_______________
mood.
illustratestheauthors_______________(adjective)
tone
towards
____________________(subject).
contributestothe
theme
of_____________________________.
chooseyourownadventure!
Goal1
Goal2
Goal3
InJamesBaldwinsSonnysBlues,
themotifoflightnessanddarknesswithinthestorycreatesa
gloomymood.
WhilethenarratorinthestorydescribesaSundayafternoonwithhismother,heinformsthe
readersaboutthedarknessgrowingagainstthewindowpanes,andhoweveryfacelooksdarkening,like
theskyoutside(Baldwin130).
Thenarratorusesdarknesstoillustratebothasettinganddescriptionsofthe
peopleinhismemory.Theelementofdarknessallowsthenarratorexplainthepastinhisownway,whichto
himisadarktimeinhislife.
Thoughtheoveralleffectofthedarknesscreatedableakenvironment,
lightnessshinesasSonnybeginstoplaytheblues,andthenarratordescribesthisastheonlylightwe've
gotinallthisdarkness(Baldwin147).
TheimpactofSonnyfindinghistruecolorsallowshimtoshineinthe
darkatmospherethelightisshowninthisevent,butthenarratoraswellbringsthepointthatthelightisall
hehasinthedarknessthatsurroundshim.
Themotifoflightnessanddarknessbothcreateandexpressthe
gloomymoodthatstaysasaconstantthroughoutthestory.