Similarities Between 'Red Badge Of Courage And The Scarlet Ibis'

Have you ever been arrogant towards someone or something? The character Henry Fleming from “The Red Badge of Courage” and the narrator in “The Scarlet Ibis” were arrogant. The definition of arrogant is to have an exaggerated sense of one’s own self-worth/importance as well as abilities. In both stories the main character thought of themself as more than needed, they thought that they could get and should get whatever they wanted. The main characters in the stories “The Red Badge of Courage” and “The Scarlet Ibis” were both arrogant, but their reasoning and circumstances were different. Henry Fleming from “The Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Crane and the narrator from “The Scarlet Ibis” had similar attitudes of themselves, they had arrogance.

Fleming’s first feelings after battle were of pleasure “He went into ecstasy of self-satisfaction. He had the most delightful sensations of his life. Standing as if apart from himself, he viewed that last scene. He perceived that the man who had fought thus was magnificent.” (28) This was soon changed into a young man who wanted nothing but to run away “He blanched like one who has come to the edge of a cliff at midnight and is suddenly made aware. There was a revelation. He, too, threw down his gun and fled.” (30) For the narrator of “The Scarlet Ibis” he continually thought of his brother as a burden “When Doodle was five years old, I was embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldn’t walk, so I set out to teach him.” (Pathways 102) When he succeeded in teaching his brother to walk he went further and further on wanting his brother to run and swim to be normal, he wanted to have this by a certain time and once that time came and his brother didn’t learn he felt disgraced. “The knowledge that Doodle’s and my plans had come to naught was bitter, and that steak of cruelty within me awakened. I ran as fast as I could leaving him far behind with a wall of rain dividing us.” (Pathways 110) He didn’t realize in his own clouded mind of arrogance that his choice had major consequences. “He didn’t answer, so I placed my hand on his forehead and lifted his head. Limply, he fell backwards onto the earth. He had been bleeding from the mouth, and his neck and the front of his shirt were stained a brilliant red.” (Pathways 110) The narrator unknowingly killed his brother in his arrogance. Yet Flemings ended up realizing the true nature of