Scarlet Ibis Symbolism

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The short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst uses symbolism to show parallels between Doodle and the Ibis in a few different ways which include: how listless the ibis and Doodle are, their struggles throughout their lives, and their similarities in death. The first indication of symbolism in the ibis is how listless they are both described to be. When Doodle and Brother look outside, they notice the ibis on the tree. Then “the bird began to flutter, but the wings were uncoordinated” (Hurst 9) When Brother is teaching Doodle to walk, he says that “It was as if he had no bones in his little legs.”(5) Although other people or birds would have no problem with movements such as Doodle and the ibis, this difference makes them very similar. This similarity helps the reader draw a parallel between Doodle and the ibis, helping Hurst in allowing him to compare the two throughout this story. Another indication of …show more content…
The ibis would have been guaranteed a longer life without this storm, and Doodle would have had a much easier one without the constant pushing of Brother. Yet the best example of a parallel between the ibis and Doodle is their similarities in death. When the ibis falls to his death from the tree, it lies “like a broken vase of red flowers[.]” (9) Similarly, when Brother discovers Doodle dead, he says that Doodle “had never before seemed so fragile.” (12) The ibis is also described as having “scarlet red feathers and long legs”(9) In death, Doodle is described as being “stained a brilliant red.”(12) Hurst draws parallels between Doodle and the ibis by allowing readers to recognize the similar descriptions of their bodies. He also does this through the color red. The red is a very important color throughout the story because of its beauty but also its ugliness when it is someone you love that is stained bright red from blood, such as Brother saw when he discovered

Symbolism In The Scarlet Ibis

Symbolism is everywhere in this story which makes it more likable and enjoyable to the readers. The Scarlet Ibis is a bird that plays a very important role in the story. The bird foreshadows Doodle’s death and the color of the bird represents Doodle’s blood when he died. Even though Doodle was an underprivileged child he still showed courage to live through his complications. Doodle is more vulnerable to the world around him just like the Scarlet Ibis was. The color red is a powerful…

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Scarlet Ibis Symbolism

Hailey Vienna Kapsner English 10, 1st Hour 20 May 2024 Title In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis'' the author James Hurst uses the symbol of birds to deepen the meaning of brotherhood. The first time the symbol of birds is used to show the idea of brotherhood is when Brother is teaching his brother Doodle to walk. They are at Old Woman Swamp and Doodle finally stands on his own after a long day of trying. Brother thought to himself “Hope no longer hid in the palmetto thicket but perched like a cardinal…

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The Scarlet Ibis Symbolism

The Scarlet Ibis is a story about two brothers who have an unusual relationship. There is the Older Brother and Doodle who was expected not to live after his birth. Doodle has a heart condition and can’t do many physical activities. The older brother decided to take matter into his own hands and decided to teach him how to do physical activities. Near the end of the story a scarlet ibis was spotted by Doodle. However , when the reader is reading they realize that this bird isn’t just there to uplift…

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Scarlet Ibis Symbolism

In the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, Hurst uses the symbols of death and dying to show how Doodle was able to break the expectations people had for him. The first thing the reader will read is Brother telling the reader what the doctor told the family about Doodle’s condition. “The doctor said that with his weak heart this strain would probably kill him but it didn’t.” This shows that Doodle was breaking expectations by not dying when everyone thought he would die with his condition…

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Scarlet Ibis Symbolism

The Scarlet Ibis represents a red color d bird that was never thought of to be born. In this story it is explained as a symbol of death showing the viewer how this bird can be related to people. This family at first was just like a regular one, they had no problems, no worries, nothing that seams to be a bother to them. But that changed one day when they had him. They had a boy named Doodle come into there lives. This boy was different from normal people, he was born with a very weak body and could…

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Scarlet Ibis Symbolism

James Hurst wrote "The Scarlet Ibis" to show some images. He uses the color red as an example, for instance you shouldn't let your pride get the best of you or sometimes you will end up with guilt. Hurst symbolizes something red by bringing it back from time to time. One way he shows the color of red, is when the bird Scarlet Ibis falls from the top of the tree and hits the ground. He says it was like a "broken vase full of red flowers." I believe it symbolizes Doodle in the story because Doodle…

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Scarlet Ibis Symbolism

In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the author uses symbols of death/dying to show the importance of recognizing one’s limits. Firstly, the symbol of death/ dying is used when the doctor tells the family about Doodle’s limits. “The doctor said with his weak heart that this strain would probably kill him” (Hurst 1). This shows that Brother and the rest of the family know that Doodle has limits. The second time the symbol of death/dying is used is when Brother tries to get Doodle…

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Scarlet Ibis Symbolism

In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the author uses birds to symbolize the importance of family and brotherhood. The first time the reader sees the symbol of a bird is when Doodle talks about living with his brother when he is older. “ ‘We’d build us a house of whispering leaves and the swamp birds would be our chickens’ “(Hurst 4). This shows that Doodle wants to stay by his brother's side like chickens stay by each others side. The second time the reader sees the symbol of a bird…

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Scarlet Ibis Symbolism

In the story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the author uses the symbol of death to show the reader how pushing someone beyond his limits can cause a permanent, negative consequence. The first time the reader sees Doodle break expectations when he does something his family thought he would never live to do. “His hand trembling, reaching out, and when he touched the casket, he screamed” (Hurst 2). This shows Doodle breaking expectations because he was supposed to be in the casket he touched, but…

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Symbolism In The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst

Colors are a form of symbolism that is often used in writing. In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the character Doodle is symbolized by a Scarlet Ibis. Both characters are symbolized by the color red. The color red represents impending death for both Doodle and the Scarlet Ibis. Symbolism is a popularly used literary device in writing. Sometimes authors use color to symbolize things and the readers don’t realize it until later in the story. In “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the…

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