James Hurst

“The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, demonstrates how succeeding pride can eventually lead to selfishness, and narrow-minded thinking, especially with bad intentions. Since the parents were so convinced that Doodle wasn’t going to live, they didn’t have much of a connection with him. So, brother felt that Doodle was his responsibility now, and he had to take care of him instead of the parents. Doodle is unable to walk, until his brother was embarrassed that his five year old brother couldn’t walk. Before long, brother decided to teach Doodle to walk. However, his intentions were because he was embarrassed, not because he wanted to help Doodle. The brother keeps to himself, “They did not know that I did it for myself; that pride’ whose slave…

Have you ever heard the phrase, too much of a good thing? Well, it's true especially in stories about excessive pride. In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” the author James Hurst takes us into a fictional tale of tragedy with the lives of two boys. The two boys are brothers and one is perfectly healthy, while the other one is terribly crippled. The older brother tries to turn his old worn out doll of a bother into a mighty boy, however their hopes were crushed when he died. When the older…

In the story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst a young child named Doodle, Formerly William Armstrong, is introduced who at first glance seems ordinary; however at a closer glance, he suffers from a rare disease that incapacitates him from daily activities. On the other hand, the narrator is Doodle’s brother, referred to as Brother, who simply wished for a brother who did not poorly represent himself. Unable to give in to the “humiliation”, Brother sets out to train his brother to reach the…

In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis,” by James Hurst a young boy is born with an oversized head on a tiny body and is predicted to die within the first few months of life. Once he survives, his older brother makes it his goal to teach him how to walk, swim and many other normal humanly things so he would no longer have to be embarrassed of him. Throughout the story there are multiple techniques that Hurst uses in order to help the reader predict the outcome of the story. In The Scarlet Ibis,…

Viridiana Magana Mrs. Peyron English Comp/Period 7 12 October 2015 BROTHER'S PRIDE 'The Scarlet Ibis' by James Hurst, is a tragic story about a little boy named Doodle, born with a medical condition. However, we find out that the narrator, Brother, is the one that feels embarrassed by Doodle's condition. Throughout, the story Brother helps and sometimes even pushes Doodle to his limits to overcome his disability for his own selfish reasons. As the story continues, Brother tries to fill the…

short story The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst the theme pride is a double edge sword is shown through metaphors and situational irony. The author shows the theme pride is a double edge sword through metaphors. The narrator has a disabled brother named Doodle, whom he dislikes. The narrator is ashamed of having a disabled brother, and so he sets out to teach Doodle how to do “normal” things. Not for Doodle, but for his personal pride. The narrator even says, “...that pride, whose slave I was,…

In the story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, a young boy is given the responsibility of taking care of his disabled brother, Doodle. While at first the brother thinks of Doodle as a burden, later, he takes pride in teaching his brother to walk and swim. The older brother’s pride pushes Doodle too hard, leading to the tragic event of Doodle’s death. Doodle’s life and last days were painful because his brother’s pride blinded him, so he treated Doodle cruelly, yet Doodle tolerated this because…

Throughout literary history, authors have utilized symbolism and figurative meaning to convey the true meaning of their work as a whole. A notable example of this relationship can be found in The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst. Written in 1960, The Scarlet Ibis illustrates the story of two brothers and their tragic relationship. Over the course of the story, Brother teaches Doodle to walk, something that Doodle was never expected to be able to do. However, Brother’s cruelty toward Doodle grows over…

"Brother, Brother, don't leave me" (Hurst 441). "The Scarlet Ibis" by James Hurst is a compelling story about love and betrayal. The story is centered around two young boys, Brother and Doodle. Doodle was born physically disabled, but over the course of the story Brother helps him defy all odds by teaching him how to first crawl, then walk, but only for his own selfish reasons. At first, Brother was embarrassed by Doodle and even plotted his death, but by the end of the story, they were closer…

The Saint on Earth Often people do more hurtful things to the ones they love, rather than bypassers on the street. Many people do not realize that some of the most hurtful things that they say, is more often than not, directed to a loved one. In “The Scarlet Ibis,” by James Hurst, an older brother pushes his younger, disabled brother, William Armstrong, to the point of death. Although this was not his plan, he was still embarrassed of his presence and was trying to mold or fix Doodle into…