Scarlet Ibis Symbols

Improved Essays
The short story “Scarlet Ibis’, is written by James Hurt. Although this story is fiction the writer throws in many elements that lead the reader to feel that they are actually in the story. The story is mainly focused on the older brother, and how he wants his younger brother Doodle to accomplish more in life. There are factors that may hold Doodle back, but his brother is not afraid to push him to his limits. One of the many great qualities of the story is the writer's capability to use symbols. One of the main symbols is the Scarlet Ibis representing Doodle. As Doodle’s family sits at their table, awaiting their breakfast to be served. They all rush out to the backyard to see a rare looking bird. “It’s not even frightened by us,” mama said.

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In "The Scarlet Ibis," James Hursts uses vivid imagery to foreshadow how the conflict will affect the end of the story. In the story, we have seen many visual clues that foreshadow the end of the story. In the beginning of the story, Doodle's brother narrates,". The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted across the cotton field and through every room of our house, speaking softly the names of our dead"(Hursts 1). Not only does this set up the atmosphere of the story, but it was already foreshadowing that Doodle was going to die.…

    • 388 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A hurricane caused the scarlet ibis to travel a large distance to a place that it does not belong. The bird is not figuratively out of place like Doodle, however, the ibis is physically in a place that it does not belong. The bird comes much later in the story but shows it is out of place very quickly. This is directly done to have the bird indicate how quickly Doodle's internal isolation is recognized. Doodle, being handicapped, can not participate in many of the activities that his brother can do with ease.…

    • 1105 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The graveyards flowers bloom as they take their last sights of summer, while the oriole sings a dying song up in the bleeding tree. A grindstone turns and crumbles away at the time that was spent between the protagonist, Brother, and his younger sibling, Doodle. It is then that Brother remembers all the time they spent working through his condition. Brother also recalls what happened to Doodle, and how much he is to be held accountable for. In James Hurst’s short story “The Scarlet Ibis,” Brother is to blame for the cruelties done to Doodle; however, he is not totally at fault because his actions are out of love.…

    • 1646 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Doodle’s body as a baby is described as being red (333), and when he dies, his blood stains his skin and his shirt red (344). The Scarlet Ibis is a carefully chosen symbol and is linked and compared with Doodle from the beginning of the plot. Like the Ibis, Doodle is alone, different and singled out; he and the Ibis are weak, sickly and unable to survive in the World and both of them die alone, in storms, away from their homes. Brother does not realize just how alike Doodle and the Ibis are until he holds Doodle's body in his arms at the very end, noticing the red of Doodle's blood and the fragility of his limp body (344).…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The scarlet ibis “The quote” The quote “But all of us must have someone or something to be proud of , And Doodle had became mine , I did not know then that pride is a wonderful,terrible thing , A seed that bears two vines life and death”. The quote means that at the beginning the narrator did not like / have pride in doodle because he couldn't do the things he wanted him to do , And after a while he gained pride in him and became proud in him cause he was walking and doing more than just lay in bed. The theme in this story is guilt and selfishness Because the narrator has a lot of guilt buliding up because he Diden’t like doodle at first and he even thought of killing him but also selfishness to because he wanted…

    • 177 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Scarlet Ibis The Scarlet Ibis is a story about two young boys, the narrator, and Doodle - formerly named William Armstrong. But that’s not all that the Scarlet Ibis is about. The Scarlet Ibis is also about the Sin of Pride, and how Pride brings with it two seeds - life and death. This theme is one of the core aspects of the Scarlet Ibis. The narrator’s pride is what sets in motion this story in the first place.…

    • 281 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis,” there were several conflicts that affected characterization, but there are two main conflicts which developed the narrator. For example, in the story, during the scene where Doodle and his brother went up into the attic, the narrator said, “‘You’re going to have to touch it. ‘I won’t touch it’ said doodle. ‘Then I’ll leave you up here by yourself.’ said the narrator. ’…

    • 324 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis,” James Hurst indirectly characterizes the narrator as prideful and sadistic through his thoughts and actions, to convey the idea that an excessive amount of pride causes someone to be deceitful, and act for their own personal gain at someone else’s cost. “The Scarlet Ibis” revolves around the narrator, recalling on his past memory of Doodle, his “invalid” younger sibling. The narrator longs for someone to run with, play with, and fight with; a brother to be proud of. However, the birth of a frail and severely disabled younger brother is a disappointment. When the narrator insists upon teaching Doodle how to walk, he slowly begins to feel proud of Doodle and his accomplishments.…

    • 1332 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Littlehead, Ruben dean. Literary Response, 2017. I believe the key concept of ¨the Scarlet Ibis¨ is to live up to the fullest and to never give up on anything. This story has told me that to believe in myself or others and to not get discouraged about what others might think. The other concept of the story was to never give up when times get hard, like when school was coming upon the boys.…

    • 331 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    This shows that you shouldn’t let your cruelty and pride deprive you of your judgement because instead of helping his brother get back home safely, the narrator, out of cruelty, decides to run, leaving his brother far behind. After this act, the narrator returns to find his brother only to learn that Doodle had died. To conclude, the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst proclaims the theme that you shouldn’t let your pride and cruelty deprive you of your…

    • 501 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In "The Scarlet Ibis" one symbolism is the Scarlet Ibis. It symbolizes beauty and death. The bird was from a different place so its beauty was different and exotic. " Dead birds is bad luck, specially red dead birds. " This quote leads to blood draining from Doodles mouth.…

    • 116 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Hope is a very powerful force. When there is darkness, there is hope. Even in one’s darkest time, there will always be a sliver of hope that shines through. In “The Scarlet Ibis” there are many symbols that show hope, some more clear than others. Aunt Nicey and Doodle are the two clearest symbols of hope, because each never gives…

    • 61 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The Scarlet Ibis In The Scarlet Ibis, James Hurst uses the scarlet ibis, the coffin, and the color red, as symbols to to help understand different ideas that are a little harder to comprehend on your own. In The Scarlet Ibis, the narrator tells a flashback story of him and his brother at young age. In the story the narrator talks about how he tried to make his physically handicapped brother be normal like him. A symbol is anything that stands for or represents something else. The scarlet ibis is a big symbol in the story from his color to his physical form.…

    • 352 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When having a brother you don’t really like but you have to take care of, you get pretty attached to him. Pride is a double edged sword that makes you do things you would never think of, Doodle is dead, and there is a wonder for if the brother is guilty or innocent for his death. I believe he is innocent. IN James Hurst's short story, the Scarlet Ibis, the narrator is innocent of Doodles death because the narrator spent his time teaching Doodle when he could have been doing something else. And because he actually felt pride and love for Doodle.…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    What do you associate with the color red? For most people, they immediately think of blood. With all of its negative connotation, when it's spilled, or somebody is dead. Blood can be scary, even terrifying. It can also be beautiful though, as we see in "The Scarlet Ibis."…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays