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James Baldwin, Sonny’s Blues

James Baldwin, Sonny’s Blues

Read Sonny’s Blues and check your comprehension by answering the following questions. Then “submit” your work.

1. What does the narrator do for a living?

He is a singer.

He is a schoolteacher.

He is a taxi driver.

He is a mechanic.

2. How does the narrator learn about Sonny’s arrest?

He receives a phone call from Sonny.

He sees it on television.

He receives a phone call from his wife.

He reads about it in the newspaper.

3. Why is Sonny arrested?

heroin possession and dealing

drunk driving

murder

armed robbery

4. How does the narrator’s mother encourage him to support Sonny?

She tells him that she is responsible for Sonny’s crimes.

She tells him the story of Sonny’s birth.

She blames the narrator for Sonny’s crimes.

She tells him the story of how his father witnessed his own brother’s death.

5. What instrument does Sonny play?

saxophone

harmonica

piano

bass guitar