“It is better to lose your pride with someone you love than to lose someone you love with your useless pride” - Unknown “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst is the story of a boy and his sickly younger brother, Doodle. The older brother (the narrator) was embarrassed that Doodle was unable to do normal, physical things. The narrator set off to teach his brother to walk, swim, and run, but his pride caused him to push his little brother too hard, which eventually led to Doodle’s death. The narrator was heartbroken that he caused his brother to die. By examining pride’s role in “The Scarlet Ibis” and in real life, it is evident that pride can be dangerous and destructive.
In “The Scarlet Ibis”, the narrator’s pride ultimately caused the death of his brother and brought him pain and suffering. Since the narrator was only motivated by his selfish pride, he kept pushing Doodle harder and harder, without regard for his brother’s feelings or well-being. If he had acted out of love instead of pride, he would have been gentle and compassionate when he helped his brother, therefore preventing his death. The text states, “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.” Pride caused the narrator to act recklessly at the expense of his
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It increases self-centeredness while decreasing concern for others. For example, a prideful spouse ruins a marriage because they cause arguments and cannot be compassionate and understanding. Additionally, pride can destroy religious faith because it prevents recognition of sinfulness and produces feelings of superiority, which decreases God’s presence in a person’s life. In conclusion, the narrator’s reckless actions caused by pride and pride’s destructive nature in the real world are evidence that pride is a dangerous