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. The narrator’s pride along
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His pride prompted his desperate need for the ideal sibling, pushing Doodle beyond his limits and in the end, leaving both him and Doodle with nothing left to gain. The narrator’s deceitful act resulted in him sacrificing Doodle over the gain of an excessive amount of pride. The “streak of cruelty” the narrator faces is awakened by his failure to teach Doodle, and Doodle’s incapability of retaining the skills the narrator taught him, resulting in him running away and abandoning Doodle. The phrase, “what are the words that can solder cracked pride,” mentioned by the protagonist refers to how his pride along the storyline slowly tares the narrator as well as the people around him apart. The protagonist’s pride negatively affected his mindset, causing him to make decisions that he later regrets. It led him to becoming characterized as sadistic, through his refusal to accept his disabled brother for who he is. As the story progresses, he begins to realize the disastrous effects of pride and toll it took on Doodle’s life. The protagonist begins to recognize that there are no words to “solder” the tear pride ripped together again. Once something is broken, it will forever remain apart. You can not make it the same as it once was ever
His pride prompted his desperate need for the ideal sibling, pushing Doodle beyond his limits and in the end, leaving both him and Doodle with nothing left to gain. The narrator’s deceitful act resulted in him sacrificing Doodle over the gain of an excessive amount of pride. The “streak of cruelty” the narrator faces is awakened by his failure to teach Doodle, and Doodle’s incapability of retaining the skills the narrator taught him, resulting in him running away and abandoning Doodle. The phrase, “what are the words that can solder cracked pride,” mentioned by the protagonist refers to how his pride along the storyline slowly tares the narrator as well as the people around him apart. The protagonist’s pride negatively affected his mindset, causing him to make decisions that he later regrets. It led him to becoming characterized as sadistic, through his refusal to accept his disabled brother for who he is. As the story progresses, he begins to realize the disastrous effects of pride and toll it took on Doodle’s life. The protagonist begins to recognize that there are no words to “solder” the tear pride ripped together again. Once something is broken, it will forever remain apart. You can not make it the same as it once was ever