Summary Of The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst

In the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis,” James Hurst, through the characterization of the narrator, demonstrates that it is crucial to meticulously think before performing actions that may negatively scar someone for the rest of their life. After the narrator taught Doodle how to walk and when they were going to demonstrate the great feat they had accomplished, the narrator felt a moment of realization and “...began to cry...They did not know that I did it for myself; that pride, whose slave I was spoke to me louder than all their voices, and that Doodle walked only because I was ashamed of having a crippled brother” (9). Ironically, the narrator reflects on his actions after he performs them rather than doing it before. He not only does this

He finally understood that “Doodle only walked because [he] was ashamed” and figured that this was not what Doodle really even wanted. In the short story, the narrator was characterized as one who cared less about the people around him than he did about himself. He would try to accomplish things that would benefit him personally but wouldn’t care at all about how it may affect others. This example of the narrator hurting someone helps explain that there must be careful thought before any action is made because of the way it may negatively affect a person. Later, towards the end of the story, the narrator made a life-changing decision regarding Doodle which further explained the importance of thinking before acting. This took place “When the deafening peal of thunder had died, and in the moment before the rain arrived, I heard Doodle, who had fallen behind, cry out, ‘Brother, Brother, don’t leave me! Don’t leave me!’ The knowledge that Doodle’s and my plans had come to naught was bitter, and that streak of cruelty within me