The Scarlet Ibis Symbolism Analysis

The Scarlet Ibis is a book written from the first-person point of view It explains the narrator's point of view of his dead brother's life, it also illustrates symbols that go along with the topics. A symbol is a mark or character used as a representation of an idea. Like when the narrator talks about how when Doodle was born he had a physical impairment which made people believe he was going to die he uses the coffin to demonstrate his struggles. Even after he didn't die he still didn't have enough muscle to be able to walk. The novella tells a deep story of perseverance and love, but it also uses symbolism as a way to give a deeper meaning to the whole story. In “The
Scarlet Ibis”, James Hurst uses the bleeding tree, Doodle’s coffin, and …show more content…
It’s called a bleeding tree because the sap is red, so when you cut it down it looks like it’s bleeding. It is most notably known as the tree Doodle dies under. The bleeding tree could be symbolized as a torment or heavy ordeal.
Especially since the narrator mourns his brother's death under the tree. As the narrator states” For a long time, it seemed forever, I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen Scarlet Ibis from the rain.”
When Doodle was born he had an impairment of his muscles, which prompted his dad to have a coffin built for him. The coffin was mahogany, a shade of reddish-brown, but Doodle didn't die so it was put in the families barn loft. As a cruel joke, the narrator made Doodle touch the coffin that was made for him. The coffin was made because of Doodle’s parents thinking that he wasn't going to live. So the coffin could be interpreted as past struggles for Doodle

The bleeding tree is identified in the first sentence of the story. It’s called a bleeding tree because the sap is red, so when you cut it down it looks like it’s bleeding. It is most notably known as the tree Doodle dies under. The bleeding tree could be symbolized as a torment or heavy