Foreshadowing In The Scarlet Ibis

“It as in the clove of seasons, summer was dead but autumn had not yet been born, that the Ibis lit in the bleeding tree.” “The Scarlet Ibis,” by James Hurst is a short story about two brothers who lived on a cotton farm during World War I. In the story, the narrator goes through emotional struggles. The theme of the story is too much pride can lead to positive and negative effects. This theme is developed through the use of foreshadowing, symbolism, and conflict. In this story, the author implies foreshadowing to develop the idea that people doubted Doodle’s success and thought of him as nothing. For example, the author states, "The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted our house, speaking softly the names of our

In his story, the character Doodle was born with a sort of disability. These disabilities greatly inhibited and prevented his ability to lead a normal childhood. His brother always wanted a brother to bond and share the joys of childhood with. Doodle’s older brother traine” Doodle to overcome his disability by teaching him to walk and take part in typical childhood activities. Yet with all of this emphasis on Doodle’s physical self, Hurst emphasizes on Doodle’s inner character through Doodle’s lies and stories, and Doodle’s name. Doodle’s lies and stories are filled with his inner soul. Hurst uses this symbolism to show Doodle’s wish to be loved and to walk like his fellow brother. His stories were those of a dreamer who no longer wants to be bound by restrictions of his physical judgment. His stories were those of a dreamer. The author uses both internal and external conflict throughout the story to help develop the theme. “All of us have something or someone to be proud of, and Doodle had become mine.” The author would not accept Doodle’s disabilities so he was determined to help Doodle since he “was ashamed of having a crippled brother.” Once the author learns his infallibility in “normalizing” Doodle, he is determined to make Doodle learn everything so he can fit in when school starts. Overall, this shows that the author only helped Doodle to make himself look good, not