What Are The Similarities Between The Scarlet Ibis And Things Fall Apart

The actions that people do should attempt to be beneficial for more than just one person, or it will conclude in a downfall. The concept of self-righteousness is shown in both texts, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst. It can be seen that both Okonkwo’s and Brother’s complacent decisions lead to the tragic downfall of Umuofia and Doodle, ultimately resulting in complete disaster for both characters.

The main antagonists of each text are the characters themselves, both gradually building up a worse karma for their self-centered actions that would eventually lead to their downfalls. In the novel, Okonkwo bases almost all his decisions on aiding his own welfare without the regard of anyone else’s interests.

During the time that Brother is “helping” Doodle learn how to walk, his intentions have nothing to do with the well being of Doodle. Brother cannot comprehend having a brother that was not capable of walking, so he takes matters into his own hands to resolve his problem. Having such little care for Doodle, Brother easily pushes him without regard for how he even feels. Brother’s limited care for Doodle is also shown when Doodle says “Brother, Brother, don’t leave me! Don’t leave me!” (Scarlet…, pg.5) Having no compassion for his younger brother, even when in a helpless state, shows he only looks out for himself. The selfish choices that are executed by the characters continue to build a bad fate for their

Okonkwo indirectly influences the deterioration of Umuofia. Okonkwo’s seven-year exile put the village in a vulnerable state. Umuofia was left without it’s most renowned warrior. Also, during the duration that Okonkwo was banished, it created an opportunity for the church and colonists to take over. With nobody that is as against change as much as Okonkwo was in the village, it made it easy to conquer and gain control.

Meanwhile, Brother’s ulterior motives had an impact on the downward spiral of Doodle as well. When the scarlet ibis is revealed, Daddy states “‘How many miles it had traveled to die like this, in our yard, beneath the bleeding tree”’ (Scarlet…, pg.4), symbolizing the strenuous push that Brother put on Doodle. Also, foreshadowing a very grim near future for Doodle. It is evident that the build-up of egotistical things done by each character has a heavy effect on