Please briefly answer these questions before reading "Sonny's Blues." What do you know about jazz or blues music? How are artists different from the rest of us? What is the artist's function in society? What do you know or suspect about the conditions of African American life during the 1940s and 50s?

It seems as though these questions were created as part of a prereading assignment for a classroom. The goal of this type of assignment is to get the reader thinking about the topic that will be the focus of the text that is going to be read. While some background can be provided here, it is essential that the reader also think about what knowledge they have about each of these topics prior to reading "Sonny's Blues." The reader should then keep this information in mind as they read the story, and note how their thinking evolves as new knowledge is gained from the text. With that being said, a brief response to each of the questions follows:
- Blues music was a genre that originated with African Americans in the Deep South during the late nineteenth century. Traits that are common in blues music are soulful instruments and storytelling lyrics. Jazz music was a new genre that evolved from blues music and was still performed mainly by African Americans into the early twentieth century. Jazz music differs from blues because the tempo is often faster, and it uses more improvisation.
- Artists are often viewed as more creative than most people, which is how they manage to create such inspired works of art and music. Perhaps the greatest difference with artists is that their pieces have the ability to create emotions and feelings in the people that are able to view or listen to their work.
- Within society, artists have the ability to inspire others. Their work can influence how society thinks and feels about the topics that are reflected in their work. Society can also use artist's work to entertain, as can be seen with art shows and concerts.
- The life of African Americans was difficult in the 1940s and 1950s. It was a time of anger and struggle. World War II had ended, and many African Americans struggled with the way they were treated in America, especially after risking their lives to serve and protect the country during the war. This inequality began to inspire African Americans to speak out in order to bring about more equal treatment, thus leading to the start of the civil rights movement.
As mentioned earlier, it is essential that the reader take time to reflect on these questions on their own as well, so that as these topics are examined in "Sonny's Blues," the reader is better able to take note of the author's purpose.