Setting and Character Development Contribute to Theme: An Analysis of “The Scarlet Ibis”
Mackenna Boone
Several themes emerge from “The Scarlet Ibis”. The main theme explained in this story is pride. Doodle’s brother feels ashamed because Doodle is unable to walk, which, in a sense, makes him the crippled one because he he shows that he can not ‘stand up’ to the pressures of society. The motivation behind doodles brother teaching him to walk, is his pride, which is clearly illustrated when Hurst wrote, “They did not know that 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 having a crippled brother” (pg.4). the second major theme discussed in this story is societal conformity. The narrator is sensitive to what others will think of him and his brother, which is stated when Hurst writes, “Then I’d paint for him a picture of us as old men, …show more content…
The Old Womans Swamp was a sanctuary where Doodle and his brother could go to escape their parents, which was a crucial part in the story because it was where they went to train Doodle to walk. The Swamp also had sentimental value to the brothers, because it is where Doodle took his first steps, which was a huge accomplishment between the two, and brought them closer together than ever before. The bleeding tree was also fairly significant in the story. The name itself suggests injury or death, and the dying scarlet ibis the family finds only enhances the theme. This topic of death foreshadows the death of Doodle at the end of the story. Also the tree is called the ‘bleeding tree’ which could symbolize how Doodle was bleeding as he died. The Scarlet Ibis was published in July of 1960, which was post World War 1. This is significant because It is similar to Doodles death. Doodle dies the same as a I imagine a soldier would have in the world war- in the rain, alone, cold, bleeding, and
Mackenna Boone
Several themes emerge from “The Scarlet Ibis”. The main theme explained in this story is pride. Doodle’s brother feels ashamed because Doodle is unable to walk, which, in a sense, makes him the crippled one because he he shows that he can not ‘stand up’ to the pressures of society. The motivation behind doodles brother teaching him to walk, is his pride, which is clearly illustrated when Hurst wrote, “They did not know that 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 having a crippled brother” (pg.4). the second major theme discussed in this story is societal conformity. The narrator is sensitive to what others will think of him and his brother, which is stated when Hurst writes, “Then I’d paint for him a picture of us as old men, …show more content…
The Old Womans Swamp was a sanctuary where Doodle and his brother could go to escape their parents, which was a crucial part in the story because it was where they went to train Doodle to walk. The Swamp also had sentimental value to the brothers, because it is where Doodle took his first steps, which was a huge accomplishment between the two, and brought them closer together than ever before. The bleeding tree was also fairly significant in the story. The name itself suggests injury or death, and the dying scarlet ibis the family finds only enhances the theme. This topic of death foreshadows the death of Doodle at the end of the story. Also the tree is called the ‘bleeding tree’ which could symbolize how Doodle was bleeding as he died. The Scarlet Ibis was published in July of 1960, which was post World War 1. This is significant because It is similar to Doodles death. Doodle dies the same as a I imagine a soldier would have in the world war- in the rain, alone, cold, bleeding, and