Society is made up of individuals: individuals with passions, dreams, fears and regrets. The society Sonny existed in was nothing short of hellish. They lived in the shadow of two wars: one in which both brothers served for their country and one in which each man had to fight from within. Both brothers survived World War II but no one knows the outcome of the wars raging within them. World War II caused pain and suffering to people, but I think both brothers experienced more pain because of their internal conflicts. And they were mere reflections of what was happening in every urban black American family. Sonny summed up what was happening in his life and in their society when he partly agreed with his brother when he said, "No, there's no way not to suffer." (Baldwin in O'Daniel) The society that most blacks came from was harsh to say the least and people were desperate to escape. There were many aspects of urban black American society that were reflected in the experiences chronicled in “Sonny's Blues.” Examining such parallels will give us insight into the pain experienced by these people and allow us to see how societies can shape an individual's life (Baldwin in O'Daniel)"I'm not learning anything in school... not even when I go." A forbidding and negative society like the one described in Baldwin's story is a difficult place for young people to grow up. Sonny saw the value of education but it wasn't what he needed. All of America went into recession after World War II and even during the war, life in general was tough. Blacks had more dignity and freedom, yes, but they were still discriminated against, as the mother's words show, this car was full of white men. ....middle of paper......they are products of their society. At that time every black American lived in constant fear and suffering. There were so many things unknown and they are suffocated by the life and filth that surrounds them. Lack of education and basic protective services for women and children exacerbates the problem. Added to this is the heavy burden of drug addiction and abuse. The society they were born into shaped how they viewed their life and the options they had. If urban black American communities continued to be such a place, then everyone, not just blacks, would be hopeless and trembling for the future (Baldwin in O'Daniel). Works Cited O'Daniel, Therman B., ed. James Baldwin: A Critical Evaluation. Washington, DC: Howard UP, 1977MacMillan, Margaret. Rebuilding the world after World War II. The Guardian. 11 September 2009. Web. 11 November 2013