Kind or Cruel; Who Knew We Could Be Both?
As a kid, would you ever get in a fight with your sibling making it seem like you two would never be friends again, but then, hours later, you’re sharing a special moment with each other? Well, in the story “The Scarlet Ibis”, the main character had the same dilemma. He went through phases of being cruel and kind towards his brother, Doodle. Doodle was born a weak baby and was not thought to survive. He did, but because of his disadvantages in his growth as a child, he was very different from other kids in the way he grew up. James Hurst uses Doodle’s brother to exhibit how he is both cruel and kind towards his younger brother, Doodle, in his short story, “The Scarlet Ibis”. Doodle’s brother decided …show more content…
Since Doodle’s brother felt the need to be relentlessly cruel towards his younger brother because he was different from other kids. Therefore, Doodle’s brother reveals that ”One day I took him up to the barn loft and showed him his casket, telling him how we all believed he would die”(Hurst 557). Doodle’s brother was willing to do whatever it took to scare Doodle and hurt his feelings. Even the people who Doodle would expect to be there to help and support him, may not even be there for him at all. Doodle’s brother is used to show that sometimes people aren’t reliable and aren’t there for others when they are needed to be. Doodle’s brother was also upset that Doodle couldn’t do things that regular babies should be able to accomplish. Doodle progressed very slowly in development in his …show more content…
Doodle’s brother decided to teach Doodle how to walk because, at five, Doodle could only crawl and this embarrassed his brother. As they progressed, Doodle accomplished standing and Doodle’s brother said, ”When he fell, I grabbed him in my arms and hugged him, our laughter peeling through the swamp like a ringing bell”(Hurst 558). Doodle’s brother wanted to be there for Doodle and would help him through the trials of his life. This displays the bond between two people and the love they can share. A sense of joy is conceived because of the way they laugh together and how the setting is described and demonstrates how their relationship could have been in future years. Because Doodle’s brother wanted to become close with Doodle and bond with him like siblings in other families, he taught Doodle how to lie. Through his imagination, Doodle came up with a story about how he could marry his mom and how Doodle’s brother could marry his dad. Doodle’s brother explains, “Of course I was old enough to know this wouldn’t work out, but the picture he painted was so beautiful and serene, that all I could do was whisper Yes, yes”(Hurst 559). Doodle’s brother did love what Doodle could do and for what he brought into his life. Doodle’s brother is kind to Doodle because he decided to love him and appreciate him in his
As a kid, would you ever get in a fight with your sibling making it seem like you two would never be friends again, but then, hours later, you’re sharing a special moment with each other? Well, in the story “The Scarlet Ibis”, the main character had the same dilemma. He went through phases of being cruel and kind towards his brother, Doodle. Doodle was born a weak baby and was not thought to survive. He did, but because of his disadvantages in his growth as a child, he was very different from other kids in the way he grew up. James Hurst uses Doodle’s brother to exhibit how he is both cruel and kind towards his younger brother, Doodle, in his short story, “The Scarlet Ibis”. Doodle’s brother decided …show more content…
Since Doodle’s brother felt the need to be relentlessly cruel towards his younger brother because he was different from other kids. Therefore, Doodle’s brother reveals that ”One day I took him up to the barn loft and showed him his casket, telling him how we all believed he would die”(Hurst 557). Doodle’s brother was willing to do whatever it took to scare Doodle and hurt his feelings. Even the people who Doodle would expect to be there to help and support him, may not even be there for him at all. Doodle’s brother is used to show that sometimes people aren’t reliable and aren’t there for others when they are needed to be. Doodle’s brother was also upset that Doodle couldn’t do things that regular babies should be able to accomplish. Doodle progressed very slowly in development in his …show more content…
Doodle’s brother decided to teach Doodle how to walk because, at five, Doodle could only crawl and this embarrassed his brother. As they progressed, Doodle accomplished standing and Doodle’s brother said, ”When he fell, I grabbed him in my arms and hugged him, our laughter peeling through the swamp like a ringing bell”(Hurst 558). Doodle’s brother wanted to be there for Doodle and would help him through the trials of his life. This displays the bond between two people and the love they can share. A sense of joy is conceived because of the way they laugh together and how the setting is described and demonstrates how their relationship could have been in future years. Because Doodle’s brother wanted to become close with Doodle and bond with him like siblings in other families, he taught Doodle how to lie. Through his imagination, Doodle came up with a story about how he could marry his mom and how Doodle’s brother could marry his dad. Doodle’s brother explains, “Of course I was old enough to know this wouldn’t work out, but the picture he painted was so beautiful and serene, that all I could do was whisper Yes, yes”(Hurst 559). Doodle’s brother did love what Doodle could do and for what he brought into his life. Doodle’s brother is kind to Doodle because he decided to love him and appreciate him in his