Final answer:
The community's reaction to Sonny's rocket attempts is a confusion between Baldwin's fictional character and historical space efforts. Sonny's Blues focuses on the protagonist's struggle with life and his relationship with his brother, and not on rocket launches. Historical reactions to US rocket failures like 'Stayputnik' were of ridicule and concern, contrasting with the Soviet Union's space success.
Step-by-step explanation:
The community's reaction to Sonny's attempt at launching a rocket in the context of the question appears to be a mix-up with the story of Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin and the historical context of the Space Race. In Sonny's Blues, there is no mention of Sonny trying to launch a rocket. Instead, the short story focuses on the complex relationship between Sonny, a jazz musician, and his brother, a math teacher. If we consider the historical attempts to launch rockets, the early failures of the US Space Program, such as the media-dubbed 'Stayputnik,' were met with satire and skepticism, presenting a stark contrast to the Soviet Union's success with Sputnik and Sputnik II.
Regarding the titular question of Sonny's Blues, the title refers to the music and struggles of Sonny, who is often misrepresented by his brother due to a lack of understanding and communication. The narrator's eventual presence at Sonny's concert signifies a bridge being built between them as the narrator begins to appreciate Sonny's world and the healing power of his music.