Comparison of Protagonists in Sonnys Blues and Barton Fink - Essay Example

30 April Comparison of Protagonists in Sonny’s Blues and Barton Fink Introduction Sonny’s Blues stresses the struggles oftwo African American brothers growing up in Harlem; one of them appears to have fallen into the despair of the ghetto while the other struggles to live a positive life. On the other hand, Barton Fink is a story about a struggling film scriptwriter who quickly gets ensnared by the complexities of Hollywood. While these two narratives may seem worlds apart, they are actually quite similar in context as the main characters go through similar struggles. The protagonists in the film and the book belong to environments that limit their opportunities; they have so much to give but society denies them a chance to fulfill their potential. Analysis In Sonny’s Blues, the narrator laments about the darkness and hopelessness in his community, which were traits that existed in his ancestor’s communities and still continue to trouble youth in his generation. Sonny’s brother weeps for the boys of his community because they use heroin and other drugs, yet it seems that they are pushed into drug-taking and selling simply because other prospects for success do not exist. As he rides through the streets of Harlem, he finds history repeating itself through the youth of his time; it is almost as if black people have no hope but to resign to their fate. Likewise, Barton Fink also lives in a world where he can do little to change his circumstances; initially he seemed like a successful playwright, in charge of his world. However, when his agent informs him of an opportunity to transition into film by working in Hollywood, Fink jumps at the opportunity. Little does he know that once he signs the contract, he will be entrapped in the highly demanding, yet unforgiving world of filmmaking. Barton is frustrated when he dances and celebrates about completing his script, only to realize that his boss Lipnick thinks it is too rosy to be any good. The Capital Pictures owner then decides that he will punish Barton by keeping him in the studio even though none of Barton’s films will be produced there. Therefore, the budding writer must honor terms of his contract without necessarily gaining from them materially or professionally, so he is entrapped by the employment system. Writing films is a flaky affair, where writers surrender themselves to the whims of their eccentric employers; most of them may hold a lot of promise but may never realize it when they get into the wrong deal (Dunne 308). If something minor occurs, it is likely that those same individuals will get blamed for it, and everything else that happens after that will be heaped on them. It is because of these factors that one can say that Hollywood is somewhat similar to Harlem; protagonists in both stories appear to surrender control to external forces. Perhaps another issue that shows similarities between the film and book is the fact that artistic persons in both worlds appear to be wild and carefree. This quality exposes them to the difficulties of surrendering their lives to the industries in which they work. The lack of control in Barton’s life as well as Sonny’s life is only possible because these individuals chose to follow slightly complicated careers. The narrator, in the book is quite a stable character; he is a teacher and has a steady job that assists in taking care of his life. He looks at things retrospectively, and even understands why many members of his community seem to live hopeless and dead-end lives. On the other hand, his brother is the complete opposite; he is a Jazz musician, who has barely held a steady job and likes to spend time with people that do not take life so seriously. Sonny abuses drugs and makes many unwise choices, including skipping class in order to hang out with jazz artists. It is evident that certain industries tend to make individuals vulnerable; it may be that the drug taking was simply Harlem’s culture, or it could be an attempt to cope with the irregularities of the entertainment world. If one considers the latter interpretation, then it can be said that black people in that community had such narrow options that they had to select an industry, which controlled them. Conversely, Fink’s environment did not propel him into the uncertain world of entertainment, as Sonny’s did; notwithstanding, he was also a creative and wild personality. Fink often asserted that he preferred spending time with the common man over the superficial Hollywood lifestyle; in this sense, he seems to be a wild character that defies stereotypes and seeks new experiences. The kind of friends he chooses also tells the audience a lot about his personality since he selected an insurances sales representative as a friend and confidant. It may be stated that both Fink and Sonny are at the receiving end of a cruel and unforgiving industry because as creative people, it is inevitable to stumble across certain obstacles, yet no one understands how to prevent them. Another element that stands out in these two narrations is the fact that Sonny and Barton still hold on to their humanity regardless of their perceived lack of control. When the narrator describes his brother, he acknowledges the fact that Sonny was wild but still retained his compassion (Baldwin 21). Sonny’s brother knew that the harsh and cruel world of Harlem could turn any person into a cold and evil person, but fortunately, this had not happened to Sonny. It is almost as if the music kept him grounded and in touch with his inner, gentler self; alternatively, it could simply be that his personality was predominantly a positive one. Regardless of the explanation, it is evident that Sonny’s illegal activities had still not distorted who he really was inside. The protagonist’s environment may have limited his opportunities but it did not kill his soul, as Sonny was still recognizable and identifiable as a person. In fact, while the narrator appears to have surrendered to the suffering in his community, Sonny seems to think that people need to fight and overcome suffering (Baldwin 33). The latter character realized that it was useless to get rid of suffering; however, a person should still try because this keeps their true, human nature intact. Likewise, Barton also operated in an industry where it was relatively difficult to choose one’s path, and after his boss had already condemned him to gratuitous experiences in the studio, he could do little to change his circumstances. However, one gets the sense that this perceived and innate lack of control does not push the writer completely into despair. He still lurches onto the fact that he may find love as seen through the scene at the beach towards the end of the movie. In that last scene, he sees a beautiful woman who resembles the model that had posed on the picture in his hotel room; this image was the only colorful image in his crummy hotel room. Her presence in the picture and on the beach represents hope for the protagonist, who does not hesitate to get to know here better (Dunne 310). This encounter indicates that Fink had not completely resigned to his circumstances, as there was hope in meeting someone who could bring some light into his life. Perhaps one of the significant differences between what the protagonist in the Barton film experiences and the ones in Baldwin’s story is the fact that race plays a significant role in the latter while it has relatively minimal influence in the former. To this end, the feeling of entrapment in the Sonny story is strongly associated with race relations in the United States. The two brothers are united by challenges of race; as they look out their window, they can see killings and plenty of suffering around them. Some observers can claim that most of these murders are black-on-black killings, so African Americans are to blame for their own demise. However, such a perspective would be superficial at best; the things that Sonny and his brother underwent were a direct result of the historical injustices suffered by members of the black community. The African American experience, especially during Sonny’s time, was one laden with hopelessness and negativity; these were remnants from experiences of slavery and segregation. When slavery was eradicated, minimal structures were put in place to empower members of the black race, so most of them retreated to illegal activities in order to survive. Economic opportunities were scarcely available thus pushing most of them to consider the entertainment industry as the only option. It is for this reason that even though Sonny and his sibling had left the country to work for armed forces, they still found themselves in the same darkness as before. Sociological structures like a good education, strong networking opportunities and a crime-free neighborhood are lacking in these communities, so most individuals tend to surrender to their fate. Racial prejudices at work, among law enforcers and in institutions of learning prevent these people from truly tapping into their potential. Unlike the African American brothers, Barton did not have to struggle with the problem of race; his feeling of entrapment or control from his external environment was out of his own choosing. He may simply have selected a different career path or opted for something that was more predictable than a Hollywood based profession. Barton’s predicaments thus appear to be less severe than Sonny’s and his brother’s problems because they are individualistic. These issues are exclusive to the protagonist in the film and could have been avoided if he really wanted; the African Americans had deeper social and historic issues that were more difficult to change. Conclusion Main characters in the film and the book appear to possess similar predicaments since they belong to worlds that limit their opportunities and control them. For Sonny and his brother, this occurs in the form of a culture of negativity, drugs, killings and diminished work opportunities. On the other hand, Barton’s entrapments manifest as his inability to become a reputable writer owing to the flimsy nature of his industry. Sonny also suffers from a similar fate at work, but both creative characters choose not to succumb to their negative environments by keeping their humanity. Nevertheless, the protagonists in the film and the book differ due to the historical nature of their experience, with race playing a critical role among James Baldwin’s characters. Works Cited Baldwin, James. “Sonny’s Blues.” The Jazz fiction anthology. Ed. Sascha Feinstein and David Rife. Bloomington: Indian University Press, 2009. 17-48.Print. Dunne, Michael. “Barton Fink, Intertextuality, and the (Almost) Unbearable Richness of Viewing.” Literature/Film Quarterly 28.4 (2000): 303–311. Print. Read More