nto the mainstream American culture" (166). The narrator's inability to deal with Sonny's lifestyle has caused the two brothers to become separated. However, after many years of not hearing anything, the narrator is reminded of his brother by reading a newspaper article telling of Sonny's arrest for possession of heroin. Later, when his daughter dies from a case of polio, the narrator decides that he wants to try to become reconciled with Sonny.
At this point in the narrative, Baldwin inserts a flashback which explains how the two brothers became separated and also expresses the theme that people need each other in order to deal with the inherent pains of life. Specifically, the narrator remembers his mothe
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