ipl-logo

The Scarlet Ibis Literary Analysis Essay

660 Words3 Pages

Literary Analysis: The Scarlet Ibis
Why do we hurt the ones we love? This question is examined in the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst. In the story, the narrator recounts past occurrences with Doodle, his younger brother. Due to Doodle being a sickly child, he was unable to do many things most normal kids his age could do. The narrator became ashamed of his brother and tried to resolve the problem by pushing Doodle past his limits. The narrator’s pride and selfish intentions eventually bring about the ultimate death of Doodle, showing that selfish pride generally causes more harm than good. By analyzing the story, it is easy to see that the theme that “spiteful cruelty toward a loved one often stems from wounded pride” is revealed …show more content…

It is true that Doodle learned how to walk because of the narrator’s constant attempts. James Hurst writes, “Finally one day, after many weeks of practicing, he stood alone for a few seconds, I grabbed him in my arms and hugged him . . .” (467) The narrator’s efforts in getting Doodle to walk were met with success and an outpouring of emotions from his Daddy, Mama and Aunt.
However, the root of the narrator’s action came from the embarrassment of Doodle not being able to walk at the age of five. “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” (Hurst 468). The narrator was ashamed of his brother who couldn’t do what others around him could. The narrator’s motivation was his selfish pride and shame.
The narrator was at times brutal to Doodle because of the embarrassment and shame that blinded him to Doodle’s limitations which led to the dire consequences that arose due to his thoughtless actions. His love for Doodle was overridden by his selfish pride and thus cruelty was born. In the story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the theme that “spiteful cruelty toward a loved one often stems from wounded pride” is revealed through the narrator and the cruelty he exhibited towards Doodle in moments of anger and

Show More
Related
293 Words | 2 Pages

Characterization Essay Sometimes in life people are not the luckiest at birth. The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst is a story about a boy who learns to walk. Doodle displayed determination and that he could work hard. Doodle is very determined to learn and be able to walk.

Read More
274 Words | 2 Pages

In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, there are many kind and helpful actions done, but the torturous ones that Doodle’s older brother plans and executes surpass them all. For example, Brother starts to realize his feelings for Doodle soon after he is born and decides “ to kill him by smothering him with a pillow” (175). Not only is this cruel, but it is horrible to think that someone would want to harm a relative in that way. Being so young also means that Doodle would not be able to do anything to defend his life. In addition, the narrator pushes his brother’s physical abilities by making him swim until he appeared blue, row more than his muscles could manage, and walk faster than recommended (180).

Read More
383 Words | 2 Pages

Here is my evidence. First reason the narrator is guilty of Doodle’s death is because he was ashamed of him. This is clearly shown when brother makes the statement on page 347 “I was ashamed of having a crippled brother.” This clearly shows the narrator's shame in Doodle. Another statement

Read More
248 Words | 1 Pages

Moreover, the narrator’s final act of cruelty results in the death of Doodle. The activities the narrator prepares for Doodle to help

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
381 Words | 2 Pages

Shame is a powerful emotion that leads people to do things absentmindedly, that could lead to dreadful outcomes. In James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” Doodle is a disabled child that can not do things that others can do easily. Brother tries to shape Doodle into a regular kid, which ends badly. When Doodle doesn't improve at as fast as his brother wants him to, he only pushes him harder. Brothers sense of shame leads to Doodle being pushed too hard and eventually dying.

Read More
446 Words | 2 Pages

"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.

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
566 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the story The Scarlet Ibis, Brother slowly kills Doodle; slowly “cutting” him, until the wound was too deep. In the story, mostly for his own greed, Brother exploits Doodle and exhausts him through physical activity that Doodle should not have done. For example, he made him walk, run, swim, and more. Although this may have brought the emotionally torn family joy, it did not end well. Pride is a dark thing covered with light.

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
770 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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
615 Words | 3 Pages

While teaching Doodle to walk, Brother didn’t understand “that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death” (Hurst 558). Although Brother had pride in what Doodle was doing, “pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me louder than all their voices” (Hurst 559). Brother became more prideful of his own accomplishments than Doodle’s, demonstrating that even the good things in life have two sides. Embarrassed by having a crippled brother, being a slave to pride had a hold over him to soothe his discomfort, uneasiness, awkwardness, and

Read More
1077 Words | 5 Pages

As Doodle doesn't thinks he is not a paltry because he is able to make things with his hands, the narrator convinces Doodle that he is worthless if he is just always in a wagon. “Then I’d paint a picture for him a picture of us as old men, white-haired, him with a long white beard and me still pulling him around in the go-cart” (p.147-148). When painting this picture he is making Doodle feel bad because not only does his disabilities affect him but also the narrator. Doodle is pushed towards difficult goals because the narrator is embarrassed of pulling his younger brother around in a wagon. The narrator has been embarrassed of Doodle because he can’t walk at the age he is at.”

Read More
827 Words | 4 Pages

When the storm hits, the two brothers run back to the house but Doodle can not keep up and brother taken over by pride leaves him there alone. That powerful pride that brother has, always breaks his bond with Doodle, after the failed lesson they just had, he gives up on his brother. The narrator, clearly has a lot of things going on inside his head, lost he just leaves him there because of his failure and an inside pride. “I began to weep and the tear-blurred vision in red before me looked very familiar. Doodle I screamed above the pounding storm and threw my body to the earth above his.

Read More

More about The Scarlet Ibis Literary Analysis Essay

Related Topics

Open Document