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The Scarlet Ibis And The Color Red Analysis

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In the short story The Scarlet Ibis, the author declares that a bridge exists between the color red and the suffering of life through a variety of allegories. And it’s intuitive: what first comes to mind when one hears red? What correlates with red is blood. Doodle is the first to notice a suffering bird outside in the garden. “How many miles it had traveled to die like this, in our yard, beneath the bleeding tree. (Hurst 9)” It had circumnavigated Earth for such boundless lengths, however it suffered, and ceased to go to its death. The scarlet ibis is a type of bird which has a red coat. In addition to the bleeding tree, which immediately can be linked to blood flowing, the scarlet ibis may likewise summon feelings associated to suffering. …show more content…

“Finally I went back and found him huddled beneath a red nightshade bush beside the road. (Hurst 12)” Doodle had been injured in some way. The author does not inform the reader on what happened. It is, however, safe to say that Doodle may have passed away by the shock that his beloved brother had left Doodle stranded. Moreover, perhaps by mere coincidence or not, Doodle had obscured himself beneath a red nightshade bush. It was not the scarlet ibis which was full of pain at this point in time, but rather Doodle. Hurst may have performed foreshadowing by mentioning that Doodle held a relationship with the scarlet ibis.
Through an assortment of lines, the author showed the reader that suffering and death is directly tied with the color of

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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.

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In the story, “The Scarlet Ibis” author James Hurst uses indirect characterization through the thoughts and feeling of the protagonist towards his little brother Doodle to establish a meaningful theme. The theme is that being ashamed of those close to you often makes you lose sight of what that person may be going through, leading to regret in the future. In the beginning of the story, the protagonist talks about how his baby brother’s crawling made him resemble a doodle bug. This is why he calls his brother Doodle. “Renaming my brother was perhaps the kindest thing I ever did for him, because nobody expects much from someone named Doodle,” (3) the protagonist proceeds to explain.

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Suddenly Doodle is no longer a nuisance. A pest. He is now a rare treasure, to be protected from the rain and anything that goes against them. It shows that while Doodle is now dead, he is also treasured. All in one event Doodle has been perceived different than

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His little legs, bent sharply at the knees, had never before seemed so fragile, so thin” (Hurst 139). This is very important because it explains the main reason that the scarlet ibis symbolizes Doodle. Doodle was bleeding from his mouth a brilliant red, and the scarlet ibis was a brilliant red. Also the scarlet ibis when he died the neck was long and in a S shape. I says that Doodles neck unusually long and slim, like the scarlet ibis.

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Logan Feeler Mrs. P. Getzin English 9 Pre-AP 24 January 2023 “The Scarlet Ibis” Constructed Response Throughout the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis,” the author, James Hurst, used symbolism to symbolically connect two different characters, Doodle and the scarlet ibis. These characters may seem completely different but instead are totally alike. The use of symbolism helped enhance both Doodle and the scarlet ibis.

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Have you ever read The Scarlet Ibis? James Hurst wrote the fictional story "The Scarlet Ibis" that has a lot of elements mixed into the story. A few of these elements inside this story include characterization, imagery, and foreshadowing. The Scarlet Ibis uses characterization, imagery, and foreshadowing to create a beautiful, well-written story that can mess with the audience's feelings.

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If Doodle were to just die without any warning in the hidden clues that we notice, we would be very confused and possibly sadder than we already are when we read the end. Also, it makes you think about the story’s connection to the real world. Not only do its references to red make us think about the story when we see red, but it makes us think about death in more depth, which of course is an issue that affects everybody’s lives. Lastly, we can interpret it do mean Brother has found some closure even though he blames himself for Doodle’s death. He has learned over time to think about death as a whole and realize that it isn’t just about the ending of Doodle’s

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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.

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C.S. Lewis once quoted, “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and of, course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” This exemplifies the genuine idea of what pride can do to a soul. Many never fully acknowledge the sincere people who sit around them, and the beauties these individuals hold. Similarly, in Hurst’s, “The Scarlet Ibis,” Doodle’s older brother, the narrator, is driven to push Doodle to succeed in various activities, because he cannot seem to see Doodle’s “inner beauty.” As the thought of making Doodle the best he can be, and displaying his “inner beauty,” eventually leads to a horrific tragedy.

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"Doodle!" I screamed above the pounding storm and threw my body to the earth above his. For a long time, it seemed forever, I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of rain”(Hurst 6).This section shows from the end of Doodle’s life onward Brother has felt guilty. The whole story is Brothers story of the dangers of pride and his personal experience.

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In a person’s life, many situations transpire and make them feel pride over one’s self. Readers can see this in the short story,” The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst. “In his spare time Hurst wrote short stories and plays, but The Scarlet Ibis was the only work of his that become famous “(gradesaver.com)”. In the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis” James Hurst uses red to symbolize warning, death, and guilt to show the change the older brother goes through, as he takes care of Doodle. The first instance when red is used, is to express warning and the older brother’s attitude, is at Doodle’s birth.

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“The Scarlet Ibis” Literary Analysis Essay As the protagonist unfolds his tale, he paints a picture of himself initially as a malevolent force, planning the smothering death of his crippled brother, to a bully, force-teaching Doodle to walk to satisfy his own ends, and finally a neglectful older brother whose acts lead to Doodle’s demise. It is the central event of his brother’s death that gives full meaning to the title, “The Scarlet Ibis.” In this short story by James Hurst, the author conveys the Narrator’s guilt over Doodle’s life and, more importantly, his death.

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The red symbolized the blood shed that the savages have lost while working. This is significant because using the word red instead of blood shows how there is a lack of respect for the indigenous people in the Congo, thus making the “heart” darker than it already

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When Doodle died his body was in a twisted manner much like the Scarlet Ibis was when it died. When the Scarlet Ibis died it was red as Doodle died he was red from

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Although most of the work is covered by subtle colors, there is a small area of red in the form of a fire. The color red is used to signify passion, energy, strength and power. This sharp contrast between the red and blue is apparent and is done on purpose and distinctly. As you can see in the artwork, the fire is representing his agony.

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