Learning to Listen in James Baldwins Sonnys Blues Essay -- Sonnys B

Learning to Listen in pile Baldwins Sonnys Blues In James Baldwins Sonnys Blues, the verb, to listen, is employed many times in varying contexts. This report is developed throughout the story as the narrator learns to listen much closely to the aural stimuli (or sounds) which enter his ears. In order to understand the narrators heightened detail of perception as it unfolds in Sonnys Blues, it is necessary to begin with a thorough discussion of audience and listening in general, and then as they relate to the story. First, one must understand the distinction between hearing and listening. Hearing is simply the reception of sound waves by the ears. This may turn over unconsciously, as is usually the case with soft background noise such as the whoosh of air through heating ducts or the extreme murmur of an electric clothes dryer. Sometimes hearing is done semi-consciously for instance, the wail of a piece of construction equipment might momentarily draw ones attention. appris ed hearing, or listening, involves a nearly full degree of mental concentration. A familiar i...