The Scarlet Ibis Brother Character Analysis

People seem to believe that time passes by either quickly or slowly. The truth is that during certain points in life, it appears to pass by more swiftly or more gradually than other times. Brother, the narrator and protagonist of James Hurst’s short story “The Scarlet Ibis,” is now reflecting back on his youth, as if peering through a window where he can see the past. Now fully grown, he recognizes how he has treated Doodle, his younger brother, and how he impacts Doodle’s life. Hence, Brother deserves a considerable amount of the blame for how Doodle is treated, but he does not deserve all of the blame. He is insecure about what people think of him, and he does not want people to associate him with his brother who is handicapped. Furthermore, Brother is very cruel to Doodle. Yet, despite Brother’s behavior towards his little brother, he does care about him, even if he does not appear to at times.
Having an invalid sibling is Brother’s main source of insecurity, and Brother treats Doodle poorly, pushing Doodle’s limits. If Doodle is as physically fit as everyone else his age, then Brother will not be known as the sibling of the handicapped child. Brother wants Doodle to be in shape before school starts, so he tells his brother, “‘I’m …show more content…
A main factor in how Brother treats Doodle is his insecurity and discomfort about having a brother who is disabled. In addition, the protagonist is unnecessarily cruel to his brother. Although Brother’s behavior is not very kind, he does still care about Doodle. When Brother tells the story, he is telling the story of his younger self. He now understands that he has not behaved to the best of his ability. By reflecting on the past events of his life, Brother discovers that time allows events and demeanor to be put into perspective. Time is something that cannot be changed. However, time can be viewed again with a fresh outlook, and people can learn from