OER text:

https://www.oercommons.org/courses/college-writing/

OER activity from this text: Freewriting 

https://www.oercommons.org/courses/college-writing/view

Scroll down to the “Prewriting” section in the “Table of Contents” and click on “Freewriting” for the instructions for freewriting (presented in both text and video format).

Freewriting Activity 

Begin with the discussion question:

Which of the two brothers, the narrator or Sonny, was your favorite and why?

Continue with the OER Freewriting instructions:

Read the text instructions AND watch the video afterward.

Then go to an in-class writing activity using this Freewriting prompt:

Start with either the words “the narrator” or “Sonny” and freewrite for 3 minutes to explore what you liked AND disliked about this brother.

After freewriting:

Ask students to circle the 3 words in their freewrite which seem most relevant to the description of the character they have chosen, either the narrator or Sonny. 

Students may form small groups to share these circled words (or all of what they have written in their freewrite) with their classmates.

Lastly, regroup to a full class discussion after each group has chosen one of its group members’ freewriting to discuss further with the class, or wishes to share one chosen word from each member.

This freewriting activity segues into a comparison of the two brothers in Baldwin’s short story to the two jazz musicians mentioned in his story, Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker. The narrator, a high school math teacher, is a bit more conventional (similar to the more “mainstream”/commercial swing music of Louis Armstrong) when compared to Sonny, a jazz pianist who chooses a more unconventional, artistic lifestyle (similar to the more experimental bebop music of Charlie Parker). We then watch You tube videos of performances by Armstrong and Parker to observe each musician’s different approach to jazz and return to the analogy of the differences between the narrator and his brother to further explore the conflict and resolution central to the plot of this story. The concept of “epiphany” may also discussed in connection with the ending of the story to show how the narrator comes to a better understanding and acceptance of his brother despite their differences.

For ENG103, this activity can be used to connect to a research paper topic on “Sonny’s Blues,” jazz music and the differences between swing and bebop. Information about these different musical styles can lead to a better understanding and deeper analysis of the characters in Baldwin’s story.

For ENG102, this activity can also be used to connect to further literary analysis of the text and the “elements of fiction” of “character” (“protagonist” and “antagonist”); “plot” (“conflict” and “resolution”); and “epiphany.”