Home Page
Scarlet Ibis Argument

Scarlet Ibis Argument

Improved Essays

Show More

“The Scarlet Ibis” Argumentative Essay

“I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen ibis from the heresy of rain”(Pg. 345). Pride can be a very destructive force. The narrator proves this from his guilt in the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst. The narrator of his brother Doodle's death. The narrator did not love Doodle, he didn't even care what happened to him, and he wanted nothing to do with him. “He was born when I was six and was, from the beginning a disappointment”(Pg. 344). The narrator didn't want anything to do with Doodle. The passage also says, “He was a burden in many ways”(Pg. 345). The narrator didn't even really think of him as a person, just something to take care of. The narrator didn't even love Doodle! The

Related Documents

Improved Essays
Scarlet Ibis Symbolism
- 484 Words
- 2 Pages
Scarlet Ibis Symbolism

“The Scarlet Ibis” is a book published in 1960 by James Hurst. It talks about a young boy, who’s aunt was pregnant, and delivered a boy who had problems from birth. They said that mentally, he might not be “all there”, but he was. The doctor said that he could not get too cold, too hot, cannot exert himself, or his heart would give up. This didn’t stop the narrator from having one of the best brothers ever, Doodle.…
- 484 Words
- 2 Pages
Improved Essays

Read More
Improved Essays
The Scarlet Ibis Guilty Analysis
- 359 Words
- 2 Pages
The Scarlet Ibis Guilty Analysis

Before Doodle was even able to come out of the rom Brother was making plans to kill him. On page 345, “It was bad enough having an invalid brother, but having one who was possibly not all there was unbearable, so I began to make plans to kill him…”This quote shows that he had planned to kill Doodle since he was a baby. On page 344 the book says,”He was born when I was six and was from the outset a disappointment.” This quote shows that brother thought that Doodle was…
- 359 Words
- 2 Pages
Improved Essays

Read More
Decent Essays
The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst: Literary Analysis
- 407 Words
- 2 Pages
The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst: Literary Analysis

One reason I say this is because it states that “So I began to make plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow” (345). That doesn't sound like brotherly love to me. This clearly shows that he hated Doodle because he wanted to kill his own brother. It also states that “When Doodle was 5 years old, I was embarrassed at having a brother who couldn’t walk” (346). He clearly didn’t like him because he was…
- 407 Words
- 2 Pages
Decent Essays

Read More
Decent Essays
Scarlet Ibis Literary Analysis
- 278 Words
- 2 Pages
Scarlet Ibis Literary Analysis

He spent his time teaching Doodle who to walk because he wanted it to seem like he had a normal brother. His reasons for helping Doddle are only for his benefit. For instance when Doodle stated that “I did not know then that pride is a wonderful,…
- 278 Words
- 2 Pages
Decent Essays

Read More
Improved Essays
'The Scarlet Ibis' By James Hurst: The Narrator
- 227 Words
- 1 Pages
'The Scarlet Ibis' By James Hurst: The Narrator

In “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the narrator is an abuser in his relationship with his brother Doodle. For example, the narrator states that it is terrible having an invalid brother and that he plans to kill Doodle by smothering Doodle with a pillow. This statement shows that the narrator is ashamed at having a brother who is handicapped and who is different from the other children. It is understandable that the narrator is upset, but since the narrator only knows that Doodle is physically challenged, and nothing about how Doodle’s characteristics are, planning to already murder Doodle can be considered to be a despicable and cruel deed. In addition, the narrator makes Doodle go through rigorous exercises often, even despite being aware…
- 227 Words
- 1 Pages
Improved Essays

Read More
Improved Essays
The Narrator In The Scarlet Ibis
- 1332 Words
- 6 Pages
The Narrator In The Scarlet Ibis

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

Read More
Decent Essays
The Scarlet Ibis Theme Analysis
- 501 Words
- 3 Pages
The Scarlet Ibis Theme Analysis

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

Read More
Improved Essays
The Scarlet Ibis Analysis
- 352 Words
- 2 Pages
The Scarlet Ibis Analysis

Despite the fact that James Hurst’s Brother in “The Scarlet Ibis” loves his sibling Doodle, his love is tainted his pride and cruelty that results from such feelings. Brother is humiliated by his brother's disability, and jeopardizes his hubris. This is shown blatantly in the passage, “When Doodle was five years old, I was embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldn’t walk.” Thus, he tries to do something that at first glance appears born of love and tenderness towards his crippled brother Doodle: teach him to walk. His family’s congratulations and thanks only upset him, for he says, “I did it for myself, that pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me louder than all their voices, and that Doodle walked only because I was ashamed of…
- 352 Words
- 2 Pages
Improved Essays

Read More
Improved Essays
Scarlet Ibis Theme Essay
- 723 Words
- 3 Pages
Scarlet Ibis Theme Essay

He repeatedly asked his brother not to leave him.. The brother thought he had finally gotten Doodle where he wanted him. He wanted Doodle to become a little independent and started to take streches to make sure Doodle could do…
- 723 Words
- 3 Pages
Improved Essays

Read More
Improved Essays
Scarlet Ibis Literary Criticism
- 454 Words
- 2 Pages
Scarlet Ibis Literary Criticism

At this point, Doodle is only two years old. Despite this, the narrator still chooses to say this statement. Clearly, as soon as his brother was born, the narrator wanted him to be normal, and not disabled. His glee when he first starts to see signs of traditional human behavior in his sibling shows that he longs for…
- 454 Words
- 2 Pages
Improved Essays

Read More
Decent Essays
The Scarlet Ibis Theme Analysis
- 272 Words
- 2 Pages
The Scarlet Ibis Theme Analysis

“The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst is a bitter story about the conflicts between love and pride. When Brother says, “pride is… a seed that bears two vines, life and death,” he means that it's what caused Doodle to have a chance at a normal life but die trying to get there. When Brother finally succeeds in teaching Doodle how to walk, there is an sudden connection between the two, “He stood alone for a few seconds... I grabbed him in my arms and hugged him, our laughter pealing through the swamp,” (page 5).…
- 272 Words
- 2 Pages
Decent Essays

Read More
Improved Essays
Doodle In The Scarlet Ibis
- 457 Words
- 2 Pages
Doodle In The Scarlet Ibis

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

Read More
Improved Essays
The Scarlet Ibis Argumentative Essay
- 540 Words
- 3 Pages
The Scarlet Ibis Argumentative Essay

”(158) Brother is a person who only cares about himself, he at first didn’t want Doodle in his life because he was embarrassed that he was the way he was. Doodle was born when Brother was six and “was from the outset, a disappointment.” (158) Brother never gave Doodle his full attention, he was too concerned about himself and the way other…
- 540 Words
- 3 Pages
Improved Essays

Read More
Improved Essays
Scarlet Ibis Theme
- 911 Words
- 4 Pages
Scarlet Ibis Theme

Every step Doodle took towards being more “normal” was because of his brother. “Once I had succeeded in teaching Doodle to walk, I began to believe in my own infallibility, and I prepared a terrific development program for him, unknown to Mama and Daddy, of course. I would teach him to run, to swim, to climb trees, and to fight.” (Hurst 622) He was incredibly egoistic and was at times cruel to Doodle.…
- 911 Words
- 4 Pages
Improved Essays

Read More
Improved Essays
The Scarlet Ibis Quotes On Doodle's Death
- 820 Words
- 4 Pages
The Scarlet Ibis Quotes On Doodle's Death

When Doodle needed a responsible person, he did not have one to help him. During the story, Hurst reveals the selfish actions of Doodle’s brother, indicating that the he is responsible for Doodle’s death. Doodles brother wanted a normal brother, leading…
- 820 Words
- 4 Pages
Improved Essays

Read More

Related Topics