Topic 1

Why didn’t the narrator ever use illegal drugs, like so many around him in the streets of Harlem? Why did Sonny start using heroin? Does the narrator bear any responsibility for Sonny’s drug addiction? Does Sonny’s friend, introduced early in the story, bear any responsibility for Sonny’s drug use? Is jazz music the cause of Sonny’s drug addiction? How likely is Sonny to do heroin again after the story ends?

Topic 2

How are the personalities of the narrator and Sonny affected by their parents and by family history? How does the relationship between the narrator and Sonny compare with the relationship between Daddy and his brother? Why does Mama ask the narrator to look after Sonny? Is Mama justified in placing such a burden on the narrator? Why does the narrator forget his promise to look after Sonny for so long...