ipl-logo

Literary Devices In The Scarlet Ibis, By James Hurst

1200 Words5 Pages

Dana Abrarova
Mrs. Parent
English 9B
February 3, 2023

The Scarlet Ibis

“For a long long time, it seemed forever, I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of rain.” (Hurst 391-392). The short story, The Scarlet Ibis, is about a invalid younger brother who was trying to exceed the expectations of the narrator, the older brother. However, the narrator's pride caught up to the younger brother and that led to destruction. The author uses many literary devices to build the overall mood of the story.
In the short story, The Scarlet Ibis, by James Hurst, the author uses flashbacks, foreshadowing, and characters' thoughts to develop the melancholic and remorseful mood of the story. One way that Hurst develops the mood …show more content…

The narrator talks about how hard it is to have an invalid brother. To the point where it affects his pride and he feels constantly embarrassed and bitter that he decided to take it upon himself to make his brother more normal. “It was bad enough having an invalid brother, but having one who possibly was not all there was unbearable, so I began to make plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow.”(Hurst 39-41). This shows that because of his pride he was even thinking about killing his brother because he was different, and that he had different expectations of him than he should have. This also shows that he was so embarrassed and talked about killing him, which was foreshadowed in the beginning of the story. Another example where Hurst uses character thoughts to portray emotion is when the narrator talks about how hard it is to stay happy and full of pride when the narrator had nothing to be proud of in Doodle. Therefore, the narrator decided that he would make Doodle something he is proud of. “It seemed so hopeless from the beginning that it’s a miracle I didn’t give up. But all of us must have something or someone to be proud of, and Doodle had become mine. I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death.” (Hurst 141-144). This quote tells the reader that having higher expectations of Doodle had made the narrator feel more remorseful to have someone normal in his life, it made the narrator think that pride could be a “wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death.”. This means that pride to the narrator is the same as the meaning of life, and the same as the meaning of death. This therefore brings an element of sadness and how life and death are the double side of a knife. Last example of how Hurst uses characters' thoughts to develop mood is when the narrator expected absolutely

Show More
Related
331 Words | 2 Pages

In “The Scarlet Ibis”, Hurst uses the theme of peer pressure to argue that the normative conformity with one’s reputation leads to death. In providing rationale for his brother, Doodle, the narrator exclaims “It was bad enough having an invalid brother, but having one who possibly was not all there was unbearable, so I began to make plans to kill him… (Hurst 176). The narrator statement explains his embarrassment of having a handicapped brother. The narrator didn’t get the normal brother with whom he could share his love of the outdoors. When he finds out he has an “invalid brother” he feels it's “unbearable”.

Read More
430 Words | 2 Pages

Thukral 1 Jasneet Thukral Mrs. Peck Lit/Writing 5 15 September 2014 Response to Literature Formative Assessment Paragraph Title “The Scarlet Ibis,” by James Hurst uses the narrators inner conflict to convey the theme that pride, although essential at times, is a destructive, overpowering force that enslaves one and blinds them from making the right judgment. When one thinks about pride, one may think of a feeling of satisfaction derived from one’s achievement and excellence. In this story, however, Hurst portrays that pride is a weapon that should be kept under strict constraints.

Read More
442 Words | 2 Pages

it can lead to selfishness and guilt) Support #1 Older brother thinks “pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death.” Support #2 Older brother leaving Doodle to die Concluding Sentence Hurst is an incredible writer through his literary devices and ideas, especially through his theme of pride in his story “The Scarlet Ibis.” V. Conclusion Restatement of your thesis in different words James Hurst is widely recognized for his powerful theme of pride which is an involuntary feeling of selfishness and guilt that is beneficial and detrimental that is represented by Doodle and the older brother.

Read More
563 Words | 3 Pages

Brother cannot fathom the reality of having an abnormal sibling. Brother uses his pride as a way to help Doodle succeed, but Brother only did it because of the embarrassment and disappointment that Doodle is. In James Hurst’s, The Scarlet Ibis, Hurst insinuates that pride is controlling Brother when he thinks to himself, “They did not know that I did it for myself; that pride whose slave i was…” (Hurst 218). In the quote, Brother is taken over by his selfish pride.

Read More
502 Words | 3 Pages

The essay will be about the appearance, behavior, thoughts, feelings, and motivations of the narrator and Doodle The narrator’s behavior was very selfish at the beginning of the story. He wanted to teach Doodle, so he wouldn’t embarrass him. Then after he realized that Doodle really did need the help, he decided to teach him. Then he realized he shouldn’t be ashamed of who his family is, so he decided to embrace Doodle.

Read More
267 Words | 2 Pages

Defeated, Doodle questions, “Does it make any difference?” The protagonist replys, “It certainly does” (182). With this narrative Hurst helps to demonstrate how the protagonist is more concerned with Doodle fitting in than with Doodle being happy. The protagonist

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
318 Words | 2 Pages

"The Scarlet Ibis" is a short story by James Hurst that tells the story of a young boy named Doodle who was born with a physical disability and his older brother who becomes determined to teach him how to walk. The story explores themes of pride, love, and the nature of being human. One of the main themes in the story is the idea of pride. The older brother's motivation for teaching Doodle to walk is rooted in his pride.

Read More
375 Words | 2 Pages

The Selfish Narrator In “The Scarlet Ibis,” Hurst demonstrates excessive pride can lead to a selfish personality by the attitude the narrator takes to his brother, Doodle. When Doodle first walks in front of their family, the narrator feels this emotional thought that “the pride, whose slave I am, which speak louder than all other voices, and that Doodle walked only because” of the selfishness that he has inside of him(9). The narrator knew the selfishness in him which motivates him to keep going, even though he knows it isn’t the right choice. The narrator uses the word “slave”, as if he was trapped in selfishness, only listening to his voice “ which speak louder than all other voices”.

Read More
631 Words | 3 Pages

“The Scarlet Ibis” “It was in the clove of seasons, summer was dead but autumn had not yet been born, that ibis lit in the bleeding tree” (Hurst 350). James Hurts creates a depressing tone, or attitude, by using figurative language, symbolism, and imagery. This sad story is about a child who is born with a deficiency and expected to die however, lives. His brother soon realizes that Doodle is not like the other kids so he pushes him to be like the others, which actually hurts him more. Figurative Language helps show the gloomy tone throughout the story from the first paragraph onwards.

Read More
1252 Words | 6 Pages

Pride can often change a person's character and demeanor without even realizing it, causing there to be potentially regretful and somber effects. This was demonstrated in the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst. “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst is a story about the complexities and challenges of sibling connections and how one prideful achievement can result in an unexpected outcome. James Hurst uses many literary techniques to create the mood that can come from these outcomes. In “The Scarlet Ibis,” author James Hurst uses sequences of time, foreshadowing, figurative language, symbolism, and first-person point of view to enhance the story’s somber mood.

Read More
707 Words | 3 Pages

The narrator’s pride wants Doodle to be an ordinary brother, and kills him in the strive for perfection. “For a long time, it seemed forever, I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis,” the narrator reveals (426). For the first time, the narrator notices the connection between the scarlet ibis and Doodle. When Doodle dies, his neck is twisted identical to the scarlet ibis’ neck as it dies under the bleeding tree, along with the fact that they are both weak and fragile. The scarlet ibis and Doodle has come a long way, dodging many obstacles and achieving many goals, but in the end, both fall short of

Read More
1049 Words | 5 Pages

In The Scarlet Ibis, the author revealed finally the real feelings of Brother toward his brother Doodle. During the whole incidents of the short story, Brother is not accepting Doodle as a brother because of the abnormality which Doodle suffered from and so Brother feels ashamed. The last scene in the short story is so tragic. The scene is portrayed as Brother returned back to Doodle who was found dead, having bled from the mouth and his neck is covered in blood. The act of crying and screaming by Brother for the death of his brother Doodle is a pure tragic scene and by such scene the reader makes the readers feel that Brother loves his brother Doodle and for such love he tried to protect him from an outside world.

Read More
867 Words | 4 Pages

Due to his hurtful actions, inflicted upon Doodle throughout his life, the Narrator feels deep shame for what he has caused. Through the elements of foreshadowing and dialogue, Hurst’s narration reveals the protagonist’s guilt, emphasizing his deep regret over his actions regarding his crippled brother. The Narrator foreshadows the eventual climax of the story through his words regarding his views of pride. He states, “But all of us must have something to be proud of, and Doodle had become mine.

Read More

More about Literary Devices In The Scarlet Ibis, By James Hurst

Related Topics

Open Document