Figurative Language In The Scarlet Ibis

James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” is a classic example of a story that uses figurative language marvelously. The story is about two brothers who live in North Carolina during World War I. It follows the adventures of Doodle, a child with a sharp mind and a weak heart, as his brother tries to teach him not to let his disabilities hold him back. Hurst tells a story of pride, and how it can be intertwined with love and cruelty. All throughout the work there are phenomenal uses of imagery, symbolism, and foreshadowing that make the story interesting and compelling to read. It is these uses of figurative language that have made this story last throughout the decades and are why this story is still read and studied to this day. Imagery is a key component …show more content…
Symbolism is the practice of using a symbol, such as the scarlet ibis, to represent something else. The ibis is used to represent Doodle because they both feel out of place and are rare. The bird is rarely found north of Florida and Doodle’s heart condition makes him a rare case as few people are born with it. More similarities occur at the end of the story as both the boy and the bird die of exhaustion and a storm. Doodle’s body is even stated to have been stained vermillion from his blood, the same color as the ibis. Hurst outright states that Doodle was symbolized by the bird through the use of a metaphor in the last line of the story. “I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of rain,” (Hurst 564). This is not the only use of symbolism in the story, however. One of the first uses of this comes from the use of the grinding stone. Hurst states, “But sometimes (like right now), as I sit in the cool, green-draped parlor, the grindstone begins to turn, and time with all its changes is ground away - and I remember Doodle,” (554). The grindstone symbolizes how, mentally, Brother’s mind is grinding away the years and everything that had happened until he remembers the time that Doodle was born. More examples come soon thereafter. The mahogany coffin symbolizes Doodle’s death (Hurst 555). He was supposed to die soon after birth, but ended up living

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Scarlet Ibis Figurative Language