Theme Of Death In The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst

Death. The thought of it chills many, but it is an inevitable part of life. In the short story written by James Hurst, “The Scarlet Ibis,” the narrator has to experience this part of life very early on. Doodle, the narrator’s brother, was born with a handicap, which limited his development. Scared of the thought of taking care of his brother his whole life, the narrator decides to rigorously teach Doodle physical activities such as walking and swimming. One day, the narrator and Doodle decided to train again. During their “training”, a storm brews, and the narrator leaves Doodle behind in order to save himself, thus leading to Doodle’s death. Not only does the author include Doodle’s death to shock the reader, but he manages to display a larger message that death may come at any moment and that people must be prepared for it.

For example, the text mentions, “The last graveyard flowers are blooming, and their smell drifted across the cotton field and through every room of our house, speaking softly the names of our dead.” In this case, the author introduces the fact that someone important to the family is dead because he mentions that the names of the family’s dead are drifting through the house. Not only does this quote provide valuable information to the reader, but it also gives a glimpse of what is going to happen in the story. Additionally, the common theme of death in “The Scarlet Ibis,” can also be seen in the scarlet ibis’s death. For example, when the scarlet ibis died, it died under the “bleeding tree” which was mentioned earlier in the story. Considering the mood set in the beginning, a death here is pretty significant. Also, when the Scarlet Ibis dies, Doodle is shocked and decides to bury it. This gives the reader the thought of death and honoring the dead, which is the message the author is trying to