A Key to Tolerance

People with physical disabilities have with setbacks that make it harder for them to live normal lives like most of the people around them. Some of these individuals learn to cope with them, try to keep a positive mindset that helps them become better and stronger in their bodies and mind. In the story “The Scarlet Ibis” and the movie Simon Birch, two boys who suffer from growing setbacks, learn to live with their complications and persevere through their short lives while living them to the fullest and navigating their way to accept themselves for who they are. Simon and Doodle are very similar boys who both have the same disabilities and lifestyle, but the way they act on them and the people around them act as a result of it is somewhat different.

The role of an educator throughout an individual’s life is often downplayed. Their position as a teacher is to help students apply concepts of math, science, etc., in a classroom setting. Despite this, they are seen as pointless and temporary. However, there is an implicit role educators have when it comes to race, and the impact is enduring. Their “silence speak volumes,” and the “students are listening” (Pitts). In Jamilah Pitts’ article “Don’t Say Nothing” from the fall 2016 issue of Teaching Tolerance, she successfully uses pathos and call to action to show the negative effect an educator's silence has on students during moments of racial tension or violence.

Raymond’s Run Essay In the short story, “Raymond’s Run,” by Toni Cade Bambara, the main theme is, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.” The main character, Squeaky, learns this theme throughout the story. The two characters that help Squeaky realize the main lesson are Squeaky’s enemy, Gretchen, and Squeaky's mentally disabled brother, Raymond. In the following paragraphs you will read about how Squeaky learn’s not to immediately assume that someone is terrible, mean, fake, or even useless and without purpose.

“Nothing hurts more than trying your absolute best and still not being good enough.” -r.t Everyone in our society wants to be accepted into this world so they try and try until they think they are good enough but sometimes it still isn’t enough, like with Doodle in “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst. Doodle was born into the world expecting to be a normal child, but turning out to have disabilities. His whole family never really accepted him because of his distinction. His brother would try to teach Doodle everything he would need to be to become a normal person, but only for himself, which hurt Brother in the long run when selfishness and rejection become him. Some people may say that James Hurst views difference as a way to become closer to the one that is diverse. This makes sense because Brother would act as if he accepted his brother as much as he would try to change him. However, in the story Brother was very selfish because he was embarrassed about having a brother with disabilities so he never accepted him, he merely approved of the brother that Brother made him.

In the story brother is characterized as heartless, because of the way he looks at Doodle. Brother is ashamed that his brother is crippled. He says “I wanted a brother. But Mama, crying, told me that even of William Armstrong lived, he would never do these things with me” (Hurst 31). This shows that Brother doesn’t take into consideration that his brother has a disability. All brother wants is a playmate that can explore and adventure with him, but he knows that he will never have one due to Doodle’s physical condition.

In “Raymond’s Run”, it is clear to see that Squeaky walks through life with heavy weights and worries on her shoulders. Not only does she have to take care of Raymond, but she also has to deal with her mother, who does not accept Squeaky for who she is. Squeaky’s mother brings her down by not supporting her and expecting her to be a typical girly girl. When her mother brings her down, Squeaky develops insecurities about herself. She may not realize it, but the sassy and rude way she treats others is just an act to cover up her insecurities. When she acts like she is better than everyone else, she is just trying to hide the fact that she has so many obstacles that she needs to overcome. Just like Squeaky in “Raymond’s Run”, “She Used to Be Mine”, uncovers the act that Sara Bareilles puts on, and reveals her true self. Both Squeaky and Sara Bareilles have different dimensions and layers to themselves. Squeaky is also similar to a flower bud that blooms into something beautiful. By the end of the story, Squeaky learns to respect Gretchen, and by doing that she is gaining a new perspective on life. When a flower bud opens up, it grows layers of petals. Each petal on the flower is like each of Squeaky’s different personalities. Squeaky is still figuring out her life, and she is constantly learning from her mistakes and growing from them. While the flower grows new petals, the bud in in the center remains the same, like the heart of the flower. This goes to show that even when Squeaky is changing, she still has the same, loving heart. A heart that loves her family. A heart that loves Raymond. A heart that loves

In “The Scarlet Ibis”, James Hurst shows the readers how pride can cause people to do cruel or fickle things, and it can blind them to what is actually happening. At one point in the story, Big Brother has just taught Doodle how to walk and is showing his family when he starts crying. He says remorsefully, “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 crippled brother.” (Hurst 559). This shows how guilty Brother feels because his family thinks that he is helping Doodle from the goodness of his heart, but Brother’s true motivation is his own pride. Pride caused Brother to teach Doodle to walk, which could have resulted in Doodle getting hurt, making his actions thoughtless and reckless. His pride is stemmed from his success in teaching Doodle such a skill, but it also stems from his desire to not be dragged down by the weight of having a useless brother. Later on, Brother starts to become prideful and confident in his actions, and decides that he will teach Doodle everything he knows. “Once I had succeeded in teaching Doodle to walk, I began to believe in my own infallibility, and I prepared a terrific development program for him, unknown to Mama and Daddy of course” (Hurst 559). At this point, Brother’s success and pride have started to blind him to any potentially harmful consequences. Brother even decides to keep Doodle’s training a secret from his parents, not as a surprise, but because he does not want anyone to steal the accomplishment from him, and he believes he can do it by himself. As the story progresses, Brother’s pride becomes a dangerous influence that leads Brother to push Doodle to far, and ends up killing him as a result. This is similar to the fatal cost of pride in “The

James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” is a fictional short story about a boy with a disabled brother named Doodle. He is ashamed of Doodle’s physical errors, so he teaches his brother to walk not for Doodle’s sake but so that he will have more pride in himself. He gives Doodle several challenges and pushes him too hard. When Doodle fails these challenges, the narrator leaves Doodle behind out of anger, and as a result, Doodle dies. The theme of this story revolves around the narrator’s pride and how it influences his actions.

As she witnesses people trying to tease and bully Raymond because of his disability, she feels angry and is worried about her brother. Because of that she is caring of Raymond but protects him from others by fighting or threatening. Due to that event she collects the characteristics caring and aggressive. This quote shows how Raymond affected Squeaky when she became old enough to watch out for her brother, causing her to change greatly. She was kind and girly back then when her parents still dressed her up with fancy shoes and a white dress to dance at an annual event.

James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” tells a tragic story between two brothers. Disabled are seen as a burden. When Doodle was born, he was “from the outset, a disappointment” (Hurst 416). He was born with a weak heart, and his family was told that he would never be able to do everything that normal people were able to do. Even from birth, no one expects much out of Doodle. The narrator has a set idea of what he wants in a brother; “[he] wanted … someone to race to Horsehead Landing, someone to box with, and someone to perch with in the top fork of the great pine behind the barn.... [he] wanted a brother.” (419). Doodle does not fulfill his brother’s requests, however. Because of the failure to live up to his expectations, the narrator teaches

In the short story "the scarlet of ibis" by James Hurst the theme is reveled through the situation about doodle and his brother. Doodle was a boy who was born with disabilities which meant he could not walk and that maybe a few days later after he was born he would die because his heart was not strong enough. later Doodle brother was a boy who loved his brother but showed it in a bad way. Instead of taking care of his brother doodle brother was mean to him.

So at the end of the book “Raymond’s Run” during Squeaky’s track meet against Gretchen she sees Raymond climbing a fence and running with her she couldn’t believe her eyes Raymond was running just as fast as her and when Squeaky finished the race Raymond started rung again and Squeaky was ecstatic

Even though Squeaky, a frail little girl, she does everything she can to protect Raymond from the bully's wrath. Walking briskly, Squeaky keeps Raymond on the inside of her, for he often wanders off through being subject to fantasies.(#7 begin with a past participial phrase) Squeaky exemplifies her alertness when she declares,”’ If anyone has anything to say to Raymond, anything to say about his big head, they have to come to me’”(1). When Mary Louise starts spitting insults at Raymond asking what grade he partakes in, Squeaky, protecting her brother, gets angry and stands up for him by saying,”’ if she has anything to say, she needs to say it

Not just in running. Squeaky has a hard time living with many problems in her life-- from having an enemy who competes against her in running--to a bigger problem that she cannot solve on her own: having to care for a brother that is mentally disabled. Squeaky needs to balance out her life by trying to act normal and hiding the sadness that she has from her mother acting like she is “somebody else’s crazy child”. She tries to hide from the sadness of having a mentally disabled brother; hide from the sadness that people try to hurt her brother; Hide from the sadness that Gretchen is really mean to her and taking Squeaky’s friends away from her. Squeaky balances out her life by running because running is very powerful for her. It takes away all the thoughts about the bad events in her life. She can finally do something that she likes--she can finally enjoy a feeling of happiness while the cool breeze tickles her face and she hears nothing but the “crunch as [she] zooms over the gravel.” Squeaky uses this belief in herself whenever she comes across problems. She feels strong and brave when she runs. Even though her mother might be disappointed that Squeaky does not wear a “white organdy dress” she is not scared to show people who she is. She does this because she is not a “strawberry” but a runner. As Mark Twain once said, “A man

What does it mean to be tolerant? It means to be respectful and nice to someone because you don't know what they are going through. We show tolerance because it builds character. Tolerance also makes us look good because we are doing something very good for one another. So it is respectful to show tolerance to anybody and make them feel good of themselves.