Religious Allusion In The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst

In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis,” by James Hurst a young boy is born with an oversized head on a tiny body and is predicted to die within the first few months of life. Once he survives, his older brother makes it his goal to teach him how to walk, swim and many other normal humanly things so he would no longer have to be embarrassed of him. Throughout the story there are multiple techniques that Hurst uses in order to help the reader predict the outcome of the story. In The Scarlet Ibis, James Hurst uses religious allusion, traditional foreshadowing, and symbolism to foreshadow the end.
The author of The Scarlet Ibis James Hurst was born on January 1 in the year of 1922. He was born in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Hurst then went on to attend Booker T. Washington High school in Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating, he went on to study chemical engineering at North Carolina State University. Hurst’s career decision took a dramatic turn after he fought in World War 2. He wanted …show more content…
At the beginning of the story, no one believed that the baby would stay alive for very long. When he was born, he was a lot different than other children. He was born with a large head, and a tiny body which was red and shriveled up. Since it was predicted that the baby was not to last long, the dad ordered the carpenter to make a tiny coffin made from mahogany. Coffins symbolize death, and when they built him one, they set his fate for him. Also towards the middle of the story, the brother made him touch his tiny coffin while trying to make him walk, this could also foreshadow that he will die. Another symbol that ties in with the coffin is his name. After the baby made it to three months, his parents decided to name him William Armstrong. In the story the brother states, “Such a name sounds good only on a tombstone.” (Hurst). This quote also links to the foreshadowing of Doodle’s