As Michael Story stated [in his article, “Salzman, Pan, and the Magic Barrel”], Salzman is an embodiment

of the God Pan; he comes and goes “as if on the wings of the wind” (Malamud, #).

According to Takach’s article, “The Biblical Foundation of Sonny’s Blues,” Sonny’s Blues draws on the
Biblical story of The Fall to emphasize that all the characters are sinners (114). The narrator’s mother
tells him to “hold onto your brother…and don’t let him fall” (Baldwin, #).

According to Takach, the cup of trembling at the end of the story symbolizes the protection that the
narrator will offer to his brother from that point forward (117).