James Hurst’s short story “The Scarlet Ibis” is an endearing story about a young boy’s quest to have the perfect little brother. Since the baby is born with a debilitating congenital disease, this proves to be more of a challenge than usually faced by an older sibling. Through his masterful use of sensory imagery, foreshadowing, and analogies, Hurst invites his readers to experience the ups and downs of the brothers’ life together.
One of the ways Hurst brings this story to life is through sensory imagery. In the beginning, the narrator describes his new baby brother, Doodle, as “all head, with a tiny body which was red and shriveled like an old man's” (1). The big brother’s disappointment is clear in his further description of Doodle “creeping around on the deerskin rug [and] . . . crawling backwards like a doodlebug.” Later on, the narrator takes out his frustration on Doodle by showing him the “mahogany casket” which was bought for him when he was born (3). The reader experiences Doodle’s fear as “[h]is hand, trembling, reache[s] out”and screams when he “touche[s] the casket. . . . [P]aralyzed” with fear, Doodle’s brother must then “put him on [his] shoulder and carr[y] him down the ladder . . . [into] the bright sunshine.” …show more content…
From the beginning--even before the narrator flashes back to his childhood-- the image of “graveyard flowers . . . blooming and their smell . . . speaking softly the names of our dead” hints at impending tragedy (1). When Doodle is five, the narrator decides he will teach him to walk because “all of us must have something or someone to be proud of” (4). Commenting later as an adult, the narrator confesses he “did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing” that can lead to “death” as well as “life.” From this point on, the reader suspects that Doodle will
One of the ways Hurst brings this story to life is through sensory imagery. In the beginning, the narrator describes his new baby brother, Doodle, as “all head, with a tiny body which was red and shriveled like an old man's” (1). The big brother’s disappointment is clear in his further description of Doodle “creeping around on the deerskin rug [and] . . . crawling backwards like a doodlebug.” Later on, the narrator takes out his frustration on Doodle by showing him the “mahogany casket” which was bought for him when he was born (3). The reader experiences Doodle’s fear as “[h]is hand, trembling, reache[s] out”and screams when he “touche[s] the casket. . . . [P]aralyzed” with fear, Doodle’s brother must then “put him on [his] shoulder and carr[y] him down the ladder . . . [into] the bright sunshine.” …show more content…
From the beginning--even before the narrator flashes back to his childhood-- the image of “graveyard flowers . . . blooming and their smell . . . speaking softly the names of our dead” hints at impending tragedy (1). When Doodle is five, the narrator decides he will teach him to walk because “all of us must have something or someone to be proud of” (4). Commenting later as an adult, the narrator confesses he “did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing” that can lead to “death” as well as “life.” From this point on, the reader suspects that Doodle will