The Scarlet Ibis Mood Essay

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. James Hurst's use of foreshadowing throughout the short story helps to enhance the somber

The word remember means there are thoughts about the past. The reader can connect and feel for the narrator because they relate to what the narrator is saying. Because of this, a gloomy and dull mood is created, therefore adding to the overall somber mood of the story. Finally, at the end of the story, Brother finds Doodle in the storm and in a bad state. He then explains what happened next, “I screamed above the pounding storm and threw my body to the earth above him. For a long long time, it seemed forever, I lay there crying.” (Hurst lines 391-393). The first-person point of view here adds to the mood by evoking powerful emotions. This can cause the reader to feel the same way as Brother as if they personally knew him or were experiencing the same event even if they were not. This is because the readers are experiencing the story through the eyes and emotions of Brother. Since these emotions are created from the use of first person point of view, different sad and dull moods form adding to the overall somber