Essay about The Scarlet Ibis

Submitted By rileyhull

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Pages: 3

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“The Scarlet Ibis”
The narrator is responsible for Doodle’s death because he was cruel towards Doodle, he was embarrassed of his brother and he didn’t care for his brother’s well-being. The narrator’s bad intentions for Doodle began at an early age, without even giving Doodle a chance, the narrator decided that he doesn’t like him because of his disability. He starts using Doodle’s disability against him to put him in uncomfortable situations. “One day I took him up to the barn… and showed him his casket… ‘And before I’ll help you down from the loft, you’re going to touch it.’… ‘Don’t leave me, Brother,’ he cried, and… he touched the casket and screamed” (346). The narrator wanted to force Doodle to touch the coffin that was meant for Doodle to be put in. He wanted to make it clear to Doodle that he wasn’t supposed to survive, that he should be dead. This is cruel because the narrator forced Doodle to recognize the meaning of death. He tried to fix Doodle, so matter how much harm he did. “I was embarrassed of having a brother at that age who couldn’t walk, so I set out to teach him… I heaved him up… he collapsed… and I heaved him up once more” (346-347). The narrator was ashamed of having a brother that couldn’t walk, so he started pushing Doodle to learn, even though he was in no condition to do it. The narrator ignored Doodle’s condition and continued to push him to the extreme. The narrator showed no mercy and purposefully pushed his brother to his limit. He only pushed Doodle so far so that when they started school, he wouldn’t have to of been humiliated by his brother. Because of the narrator’s lack of care toward Doodle, the narrator is guilty for his death. “He was a burden in many ways… A long list of don’t went with him, all of which I

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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The Scarlet Ibis Climax

“The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst is a short story about a boy and his crippled brother, Doodle. Doodle had always been different. He didn’t begin to crawl until he was three, but his brother started to teach him things like walking and running, so they could surprise their parents. Doodle’s brother was helping him to improve his Doodle’s life but also improve his own. “The Scarlet Ibis” contains symbols, climax, and situational irony to help express the theme of the story, doing good isn’t always…

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Scarlet Ibis Challenges

between the article, “11-year-old Takes Steps to Help Other Children in Need” and the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis” is an obstacle or challenge can be overcome, and even celebrated when shared with friends. Obtaining assistance from a friend when faced with a challenge lightens the load and the resolution of problems can also offer a time of celebration and triumph. In the story, “The Scarlet Ibis,” Doodle and his brother work together for several weeks trying to get Doodle to learn to walk despite…

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'Irony In The Scarlet Ibis'

variety of emotion, you must be imperfect, you must make mistakes and be unique. In “egg horror poem,” the eggs in the carton are afraid of being chosen to be eaten, in “The Scarlet Ibis,” the narrator's brother, Doodle has a weak heart, and the narrator had a plan to help him, and when his plan failed, he got angry. In “The Scarlet Ibis,” Doodle has a weak heart and is unable to walk until he was five. Anger, fear, and embarrassment at how others view…

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The Scarlet Ibis Theme

The theme statement of “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst would be that if someone isn’t grateful enough for something,they just might be the one to take it away from themselves. “The Scarlet Ibis” is a story about a boy and his little brother, Doodle, who is disabled, and not exactly like everybody else. The older brother established a strong disliking toward Doodle. He feared that he would be the one ridiculed for having a sibling who was “different”. Having this in mind, he taught Doodle basic…

Words 365 - Pages 2

Scarlet Ibis Symbolism

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)…

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Scarlet Ibis Death

In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis”, the author James Hurst uses the symbol of death as he shows how the main character is guilty of a major loss. The first time the author shows how Brother feels guilty is when Doodle is talking to Brother about who told him that he can’t walk. “‘I can’t walk, Brother, says Mama, the doctor- everybody.’” pg. 2-3. How to use a sandbox? Brother made Doodle walk, even though the doctor told Doodle that he couldn’t. It makes Brother feel guilty because once Doodle…

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Symbolism In The Scarlet Ibis

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 message throughout this text…

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Doodle In The Scarlet Ibis

Throughout “The Scarlet Ibis,” the reader gets to know Doodle and how he is determined to hang out with Brother. But by the end of the story, that becomes harder and harder to do. Even though, Doodle is almost seven years old, he is still not like his brother or other children. In “The Scarlet Ibis” Doodle is characterized as frail, kind, and very easily frightened. First, Doodle is very frail. Everybody thought he was going to die because he was born in a caul. “He seemed all head, with a…

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Scarlet Ibis Limits

Limits are The Color Red In James Hurst’s short story “The Scarlet Ibis” the author uses anything red to symbolize the need to recognize people's limits. The first time the author shows this is when Brother is pushing Doodle to his limits knowing Doodle can’t go anymore. “Trembling he’d push himself back up first turning a shade of red then a shade of light purple.” This explains how scared Doodle is of failing his brother at the moment, pushing himself so hard that he gets physically exhausted.…

Words 206 - Pages 1