The Changes in the Narrator's View of SonnyCan one know another's thoughts? Through dialogue, actions, and events, the thoughts and viewsof a man of whom we know not even a name are shown. The man is the narrator of "Sonny's Blues" andhis thoughts we are shown are those directed towards his brother. Over the course of the story, there arethree major stages or phases that the narrator goes through, in which his thoughts about his brotherchange. We see that those stages of thought vary greatly over the narrator's life, from confusion about hisbrother to understanding. Each phase brings different views of his own responsibility toward his brother,his brother's manhood, and his brother's sense of reality.Through out the story, three of the narrator's view are changed, the first of which is Sonny'smanhood. During the first phase, early in the story, the narrator showed that he viewed Sonny as a child."I was beginning to realize that I'd never seen him so upset before [and decided this was] one of thosethings kids go through and that I shouldn't make it seem important."(49) This quote is an example of howthe narrator viewed his brother. He not only thought Sonny acted as a kid, but was also too young to beplanning a future or career. "He still wasn't a man yet, he was still a child, and they had to watch out forhim in all kinds of ways."(51) The narrator decided that he would plan Sonny's future and when Sonnyrebelled, the narrator saw it as yet another childish action.Another way in which the narrator's overall view changed was his view on whether Sonny's ideaof reality was sound. Still in the first phase, the narrator often presents his view of reality and when Sonnyrejects it, the narrator feels Sonny is being unreasonable. For instance, "'Well Sonny,' I said, gently, "youknow people can't always do exactly what they want to do-' 'No I don't think that,' said Sonny, surprisingme."(49) Actually, Sonny understood life much more clearly than the narrator, but the narrator did notrealize that then. He thought that perhaps Sonny was just too young or too high on drugs to understandwhat life was about.Finally, the third view changed was the narrator's responsibility towards Sonny. Before thebrothers' mother died, the narrator promised he would take it upon himself to take care of Sonny shouldthe mother die. The narrator viewed Sonny as a responsibility he had. Because of the promise made to hismother, he felt he owed it to his mother to take care of Sonny. Therefore, whenever he did something forSonny it was because his mother had wanted him to, not because he cared about Sonny. As soon as takingcare of Sonny stopped working with his schedule, he sent him to his mother-in-law's house.During the story, however, a long separation brought the narrator into his second stage ofthinking, and changed his views of Sonny. The narrator recognized that Sonny wasn't just a kid any more.Sonny had been in the Navy and had been living on his own for some time. Yet he didn't see him as aman either. "He was a man by then, of course, but I wasn't willing to see it."(52) He saw Sonny as ateenager of sorts. Sonny dressed strangely, became family with strange friends, and listened to stillstranger music." In the narrator's eyes, Sonny foolishly thought he knew everything.Even though the narrator's views on Sonny's manhood changed, during the second stage hisfeelings about Sonny's sense of reality didn't. When he saw Sonny after Sonny's stay in the Navy, thenarrator still viewed Sonny as if he were on drugs. "He carried himself, loose and dreamlike all the time, and his music seemed to be merely an excuse for the life he led. It sounded just that weird anddisordered."(52) He thought that Sonny had been driven even farther from reality than before. He thoughtthat Sonny's view of reality was so distorted that he might as well have been dead.Unlike his views on Sonny's sanity, when his views on Sonny's manhood changed so he thought,did his responsibility toward Sonny. He began fighting regularly with Sonny, "Then [Sonny] stood up andhe told me not to worry about him anymore in life, that as he was dead as far as I was concerned."(52)During this time in which the narrator thought Sonny was acting as a teenager he forsook his promise alltogether. The narrator did not communicate with his brother at all for some time. During this time of nocommunication, he felt that he could do nothing more and could not be held responsible for whathappened to Sonny.As the story nears completion, a single event brings the narrator out of the second phase and intohis third phase. It is in this final pahse that the narrator obtains a true understanding of Sonny. The deathof the narrator's daughter Grace was so devastating to the narrator that he said, "My trouble made hisreal"(53). The narrator finally felt the pain and despair that had plagued his brother for so long. It was atthat moment that the narrator found himself understanding Sonny's manhood. He was on the same levelas his brother, and he was finally seeing his brother as he truly was. When the narrator felt these feelingshe saw that Sonny was just a man that was steeped in despair and deserved respect.All of the narrator's views did not change at once. He had already come to accept Sonny as a manbefore his views of Sonny's sanity changed. As he listened to Sonny's emotional playing, he came to therealization that Sonny had always understood what life was about. He listened to the playing andrecognized it as more than merely music. Through his mentioning the cup of trembling, the cup that holdthe anger of the Lord, he shows he understands what Sonny has been through. He finally knew thatSonny's songs, Sonny's blues weren't weird or disordered but were actually a way to freedom.Finally, during the third phase, the narrator finally started caring about Sonny instead of try tocare for Sonny. He no longer saw him as just something to be taken care of, he finally began to see him asa brother. He became sensitive to what offended Sonny and took caution to avoid them. He was willing tobe interested in what Sonny interested in. Finally, he was willing to sit and listen to Sonny instead oftelling him how to run his life. All of these were drastic changes from when their mother had first diedand improved the brothers' relationship.Through out the story it is as if the narrator is descending a stair well. Each stage that the narrator goesthrough is another flight of stairs and each flight of stairs he descends brings him closer to anunderstanding of Sonny. The narrator descended one flight and it changed his views one way, anotherflight and his views changed again. During the whole ordeal he can see Sonny, yet his views of Sonny aredistorted or blurred. After each stage he believes his new view is the correct one, however it is not until hereaches the ground that he gets a true idea of what Sonny is like. It is then that he brings himself down toSonny's level and begins seeing Sonny as an equal. . interested in what Sonny interested in. Finally, he was willing to sit and listen to Sonny instead oftelling him how to run his life. All of these were drastic changes. first of which is Sonny& apos;smanhood. During the first phase, early in the story, the narrator showed that he viewed Sonny as a child."I was beginning