ipl-logo

Imagery In The Scarlet Ibis

876 Words4 Pages

The short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by, James Hurst, uses vivid imagery, predictive foreshadowing, and sharp point of view to convey the idea that pride isn’t the focus of life.
To start, Hurst’s use of imagery shows how the cripple brother portrayed in the story is shown to be treated by his brother who is ashamed of him. The author uses imagery to show how the brother was born as a cripple and could not walk and wasn’t shown to be anything more than that. His brother, the point of view in the story, was ashamed of the brother and didn’t want to be known for having a crippled brother. The author uses imagery to give the reader an idea of what the brother was thought to be, saying “He seemed all head, with a tiny body that was red and shriveled …show more content…

In the beginning of the story the family finds a scarlet ibis in their yard and right in front of them saw it die. The scarlet ibis in a sense is doodle who is unique and right in front of them. The author gives the foreshadowing by stating “How many miles had it traveled to die like this, in our yard, beneath the bleeding tree?” (Hurst, 1960) which is what happened to doodle and his brother. The brother teaches doodle so much and he came so far but then doodle passes right in the brother’s arm just as the scarlet ibis did so. By using foreshadowing the author was able to generate the narrative tension and give a clue to the story of what is sure to come. The author also uses the scarlet ibis as foreshadowing by showing that doodle shows compassion towards the bird saying “I’m going to bury it” (Hurst, 1960)showing that unlike his brother he cares for life and not just himself. This use of foreshadowing also gives the reader an idea of why the two brothers is different and if that difference will lead to consequences. In the end the foreshadowing comes through to because doodle dies in the end, and there the older brother sits holding him and says” I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis.” (Hurst,

Show More
Related
483 Words | 2 Pages

Soon empty threats displayed during the foreshadowing would present themselves nearly exactly in Doodle’s death “It’s long graceful neck jerked twice into an S”(Hurst 5) compared to “I cried, shaking him… making his vermilion neck appear unusually long and slim”(Hurst 6). The death of the scarlet Ibis draws many similarities to Doodle’s unfortunate end whether that be when comparing their necks or the brilliant red displayed by Doodle’s blood and the birds feathers. This final quote being so close to Doodle’s expiration leaves little suspense when leading to final act. All the examples quoted lend themselves in order to show the brilliance in the use of foreshadowing throughout The Scarlet Ibis. The use of foreshadowing early on keeps readers guessing on whether this will be a story of Doodle’s unlikely survival or foreseeable doom.

Read More
462 Words | 2 Pages

Daddy hugged him too, so I went to aunt nicely, who was thanks praying in the doorway.” this shows how the brother's archives something amazing and at one time said impossible. This represents the theme by showing the better side of the brother's pride. The brother becomes very ashamed of having doodle as a brother when. as shown in the text.

Read More
566 Words | 3 Pages

In the story The Scarlet Ibis the narrator is not at fault with doodles death because the narrator did not intend for doodle to die. If the narrator truly wanted his brother dead and was to blame for his death why did he waste all his time in trying to help his brother out. The narrator was a bad brother in the start of the story and was only six years old at the start of the story (hurst,pg.350). Before doodle was born he did want a brother one to care for and play with one to be a brother with (hurst,351. When doodle was born the narrator saw doodle as a dissapointment.

Read More
157 Words | 1 Pages

Doodle was a baby that was lucky to live, he was very different. His older brother, the narrator of the story, was helping Doodle be normal. Doodles death resembled the death of a bird, the Scarlet Ibis, that doodle was attached to the bird because they were

Read More
252 Words | 2 Pages

“The Scarlet Ibis” a short story written by James Hurst. He uses numerous literary devices, however the main one he focused on is symbolism. He uses the scarlet ibis to symbolize Doodle’s loneliness and death. There are various examples throughout the story showing the symbolism. One example symbolized in the scarlet ibis is Doodle’s struggle to survive in his environment.

Read More
563 Words | 3 Pages

In the story, “The Scarlet Ibis”, the author, James Hurst, used a scarlet ibis to symbolize Doodle. The scarlet ibis in the story was an injured bird that was weak just like Doodle. Throughout the story Doodle shows that he is also gullible and a big dreamer along with being weak. Doodle from “The Scarlet Ibis” is gullible, weak, and a big dreamer.

Read More
442 Words | 2 Pages

Thesis Statement Despite the fact that pride is considered an incredible feeling of motivation and happiness, the author James Hurst through his characters, Doodle and the older brother, in his story, “The Scarlet Ibis,” proves ,it is in fact, a masked detrimental and beneficial feeling of selfishness and guilt. II. First Thesis Point- Topic

Read More
977 Words | 4 Pages

In James Hurst’s short story “The Scarlet Ibis,” the narrator’s remorseful attitude towards Doodle’s death is illustrated through the utilization of foreshadowing and flashback. This is made evident through the passing of the scarlet ibis and the narrator’s own prideful behavior and faith in his infallibility. The scarlet ibis that symbolizes Doodle with its death is incorporated into the foreseeable outcome of the end of Doodle’s life, and the indication of the narrator’s future guilt is manifested through his reminiscence of cruelty he displayed towards Doodle in his past. The significance of the appearance of the bird is emphasized alongside specific characteristics to foreshadow Doodle’s own fate, followed by the narrator’s guilt.

Read More
624 Words | 3 Pages

To be proud of what one has accomplished is adequate but the continuation of feeling this superiority may ultimately lead to hubris. In James Hurst’s short story “The Scarlet Ibis”, the narrator is disappointed and dissatisfied with his younger brother, Doodle’s, physical disabilities which enlightens the idea of creating a “development program” that will prepare him for his upcoming school year and prevent his brother from any further embarrassment; the prolonging of this program eventually leads to Doodle’s collapse from exhaustion. When Doodle was born, everyone in his family, besides Aunt Nicey, strictly believed he would not survive. Due to this belief, Doodle’s father prematurely builds his son a coffin which is then one day introduced

Read More
1604 Words | 7 Pages

Enabling pride to take charge of life not only affects the person which pride controls, but also allows them to suffer emotionally and physically. In James Hurst’s short story, “The Scarlet Ibis” The narrator's control over his little brother, Doodle, fosters him to be pushed over the edge by his older brother, leaving Doodle suffering at the cause of the narrator’s pride. Doodle’s disability leads to the narrator becoming ashamed of him and soon, he sets out to teach him to walk because he is embarrassed that Doodle is so weak and frail. After teaching Doodle to walk, the narrator pushes Doodle to be just like everyone else by teaching Doodle to swim, run, climb, and fight. One day, while the Narrator and Doodle were eating lunch, they both

Read More
443 Words | 2 Pages

“The Scarlet Ibis” is a short story by James Hurst that tells the story of two brothers, one of whom is disabled and the other who is desperate to help him. This story explores and in brace the themes of love, pride, and cruelty. The author’s craA is parBcularly evident in the way he uses symbolism and foreshadowing to create a sense of tension and anBcipaBon throughout the story. In the first paragraph, the author sets a somber and melancholic tone, which is achieved by vivid and descripBve language. He begins by describing the seEng as “Bleak and forlorn” and “the graveyard flowers” that surrounds the house.

Read More
822 Words | 4 Pages

In the story “Scarlet Ibis,” the narrator is flawed in his inability to let go of his desire to have a normal brother. The narrator has a little brother named Doodle, with an extreme amount of disabilities. Before Doodle was born, the narrator fantasized about having a little brother who would be his playmate. Doodle, however, was not the ideal brother. He could not walk or do much on his own.

Read More
707 Words | 3 Pages

Pride is Ignorance Disability is a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movement, senses, or activities. " The Scarlet Ibis," a short story written by James Hurst, focuses on the relationship between two brothers: the narrator and his disabled brother, Doodle. Doodle is born when the narrator, Brother, is only six years old. Since the narrator is young and does not know how to cope with a situation like this, he plans to kill Doodle. The prideful narrator wants a brother he can play with and is disappointed and embarrassed that he will not be like a regular boy.

Read More
770 Words | 4 Pages

The older brother likely had the realization it could have been Doodle dead in that moment, instead of the ibis. Later, Doodle buried the Ibis, being the only one that wanted to do so. Even in Doodle’s state he finished burying the bird, when the reader could see a similarity in the beginning of the story in reverse on how they thought they would be burying Doodle in the coffin they built for him. Instead he is giving the Ibis a

Read More
640 Words | 3 Pages

The Scarlet Ibis shows how fragile Doodle was, and how the bird came so far from home like Doodle did when he learned to walk. When Doodle was first born his family was already prepared for him to die. The Scarlet Ibis and Doodle represent each other because they were both struggling to survive in an environment they weren’t in tune with. The Scarlet Ibis had trouble flying the same as Doodle had trouble with walking.

Read More

More about Imagery In The Scarlet Ibis

Related Topics

Open Document