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The Scarlet Ibis Theme Essay

707 Words3 Pages

Pride is Ignorance

Disability is a physical or mental condition that limits a person's movement, senses, or activities. "The Scarlet Ibis," a short story written by James Hurst, focuses on the relationship between two brothers: the narrator and his disabled brother, Doodle. Doodle is born when the narrator, Brother, is only six years old. Since the narrator is young and does not know how to cope with a situation like this, he plans to kill Doodle. The prideful narrator wants a brother he can play with and is disappointed and embarrassed that he will not be like a regular boy. Therefore, the theme of the story is too much pride can be a bad thing; the narrator lets his pride get the best of him and ends up killing Doodle. Three symbols that enrich the understanding of the story and relate to the theme are the Old Woman Swamp, the color red, and the scarlet ibis. The first symbol that enriches the understanding of the story …show more content…

The scarlet ibis symbolizes Doodle. “It lives in the tropics. How many miles it has traveled to die like this, in our yard, beneath the bleeding tree,” (424). Doodle, like the scarlet ibis, does not belong in his environment. He is mentally and physically impaired, which makes him different and stand out. 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

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There are many ways that the “Fallen Scarlet Ibis” can be a symbol of Doodle. Doodle is very unique in many ways just like the Scarlet Ibis. Doodle was born with a tiny body and very delicate, just like the skinny red bird the Scarlet Ibis. Another way that the ibis can represent doodle is that they are both very fragile and weak. Doodle is described as having thin weak legs as the ibes is also described as being weak and having thin weak legs.

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In the Scarlet Ibis, Hurst uses The Scarlet Ibis as a symbol of death and blood. The text gives many clues as to what the Ibis might symbolize. The Bleeding Tree on which the Scarlet Ibis sat on, the color and description of the Ibis, and the sudden death of the Ibis indicate the symbolism and meaning behind the relevance of the Ibis. The dead Ibis is described as "broken vase of red flowers, and we stood around it, awed by its exotic" in the perspective of the narrator. The narrator also mourns the death of his younger brother, Doodle, by "sheltering MY fallen Scarlet Ibis from the heresy of rain.

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Although Doodle is a human and the scarlet ibis is a bird these both symbolize each other by showing that Doodle and the bird both had red, weak bodies. The author shows that the scarlet ibis is weak by saying that “A bird with scarlet feathers, it looks tired or maybe even sick” (180). The bird may have been exhausted or that it

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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

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Literary Analysis: “The Scarlet Ibis” People push hard on the people they love because they themselves are selfish. Relationships with family can be complicated just like in the story “the Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst when the main character was so embarrassed by his little brother that it killed his brother. The theme that pride can be dangerous is seen through the important statements of the story. The narrator pushes his little brother so much that he ends up dying.

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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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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.

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Such ending of The Scarlet Ibis is surprizing for both the narrator and the reader. In fact, the death of Doodle after growing up is unexpected by neither the narrator nor the reader. (Hamdi, DeAngelis, 2008, Page

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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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James Hurst, the author of the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis,” uses the scarlet ibis to symbolize Doodle. Both the bird and Doodle both stand out in their own ways. Doodle was born with a bad heart, and his parents were told, when he was first born, that most likely he wouldn’t live and if he were to live, he would never be able to walk. Doodle’s brother is ashamed of having a crippled brother, that he can’t play with, and tries to help Doodle learn how to walk for his own pride and ego. After many months of constant success, Doodle’s brother tries to push Doodle a little more than Doodle can endure by leaving him, after he has fallen, on the way home during a strorm.

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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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Characterization is seen throughout James Hurst 's short story “The Scarlet Ibis”, which is very different to the characterization of O. Henry 's “The Gift Of The Magi” To begin, In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” , Doodle 's brother at the start of the story seems like a typical young kid just wanting to have a little brother to play with and of course, readers being human somewhat sympathize for him

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Doodle felt that the bird should be buried and laid to rest. Unfortunately, this foreshadows the resolution of the story where Doodle dies. In a way, Doodle is the scarlet ibis. He lived when it was said he wouldn’t. He walked though many believed he was unable.

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The Scarlet Ibis How did Doodle die? Why did Doodle die? Was it his Brother? Doodle was born a disabled kid who was loved by everybody in his family except his brother (The narrator of this story). The narrator wished for a perfect brother that his would be able to do things with but when he wasn’t given that it caused him to do things that no brother should ever do or think about doing to his younger brother.

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The Scarlet Ibis shows how fragile Doodle was, and how the bird came so far from home like Doodle did when he learned to walk. When Doodle was first born his family was already prepared for him to die. The Scarlet Ibis and Doodle represent each other because they were both struggling to survive in an environment they weren’t in tune with. The Scarlet Ibis had trouble flying the same as Doodle had trouble with walking.

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