Understanding Drug Addiction in 'Sonny's Blues' Ashley Mary Michalski College

Drug abuse is one of the largest epidemics facing our world today. Through research, we have been able to get a better understanding of the factors that cause drug abuse and consequently drug addiction in the first place. Studies done specifically on the physical effects of drug use have pinpointed the function of specific regions in the brain and how drugs manage to target the brain’s daily functions. Unfortunately, a lot of breakthroughs have been silenced by misinformation spread by mass media. Studies have also found that the way drug users are portrayed has a huge impact on the way society views addicts. Author James Baldwin's story “Sonny’s Blues” follows the unnamed narrator’s journey after finding out his brother Sonny has been jailed for using and selling heroin. Readers can help deepen readers’ understanding of the issues raised in Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues” by explaining what factors lead to drug addiction, displaying the effect drug use has on the brain, exploring how the way drug addiction is portrayed can change one’s attitude towards the topic, and the consequences that drug users may face.

The progression from using and abusing drugs to drug addiction does not happen overnight. There are many factors which may...