Compare And Contrast Simon Birch And The Scarlet Ibis

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.

What is the definition of pride? If someone were to search the definition they would find that pride is “a feeling or deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.” People can experience pride from many things like success, or intelligence, and even simple petty things being the first to turn in their test in a class. In the story the character Brother has a different type of pride, instead of being prideful of his actions his pride is a character trait. Brother is prideful of himself and having his crippled brother Doodle damaged his pride which is a dangerous thing when pride is a trait instead of a feeling. People often forget about how important a family member, especially siblings, are because they haven’t matured enough to understand the complexity and importance of life and family. In James Hurst’s short story “The Scarlet Ibis” brotherhood is a very big topic throughout it and the character “Brother” demonstrates how complicated and strange being prideful, being a sibling, and being a person, is. Through the story he is characterized as considerate and hurtful through his actions and inner thoughts.

‘Now, come on,’ and I helped him up,’”(Hurst 473). Doodle is different from Simon by his brother figure being is a biological sibling , and his brother wants him to be an orthodox kid. In comparison, Joe, Simon’s brother figure, doesn’t care that isn't like the other kids. Another difference is they aren’t actually brothers.The two are the same by always having somebody by their side, and their figure is their only friend. They both have a person that will stand up for them, and makes them feel wanted. Overall, Doodle and Simon’s brother figure both make their stories similar and different.

Is it possible for someone to be cruel, but at the same time have love for somebody? Many people would disagree, but this concept is proven to be true through the story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. “The Scarlet Ibis” is about how Brother has a sibling named Doodle, who deals with a physical disability and Brother helps Doodle overcome difficulties due to his disability. However, Brother’s cruelty and pride towards Doodle took the best of him resulting in the death of Doodle. Of Mice and Men is about how two men named George and Lennie have differences that make their relationship complex; George is small, quick, and determined, but takes control over Lenny who’s big, but has a mental disability. Sometimes, Lennie’s immature actions bother George, so he’s cruel to Lennie, but they always stick together no matter what the situation is, however, once Lennie did something so unacceptable that it resulted in George killing Lennie. Even though both the main characters in those stories are cruel to their companions, there’s still that strong power of love that bonds them together.

Simon Birch and Doodle were both born with their disabilities. After birth, the doctors thought Simon would die due to his small heart and body (Johnson). Similarly, Doodle was thought to die after seeing his small, shriveled newborn body; “(He had) a tiny body...Everybody thought he was going to die” (Hurst 428). Furthermore, both characters developed through childhood with limitations due to his disability. Simon was slow in games with his friends and struggled in baseball, but through his limits he persisted and had a nice childhood (Johnson). Doodle also worked through his disability. As a baby he strained to develop, which some believed would kill him, but he persevered to learn to crawl (Hurst). His brother had pushed Doodle to develop walking skills and other playful activities; “When Doodle was five years old, I was embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldn't walk, so I set out to teach him” (Hurst 432). After being taught to walk, Brother set out to teach his younger to run, fight, climb trees, and swim (Hurst). Unlike Simon, Doodle was burdened for his inabilities and was taught skills to try to keep him from being ostracized when in school.

British politician, Iain Duncan Smith once said ‘“ Do not underestimate the determination of a quiet man.’’ Determination is one thing that can get people farther in life. It can help accomplish any job or goal that they want to achieve. “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst is a story about a brother and his determination. He helped his younger brother do things that everyone didn’t know he could do. When his brother, Doodle, was first born, he had been embarrassed to have a brother that could do so little. He then decided to push his brother to do things that would surprise people. Although, others argue that “The Scarlet Ibis” doesn’t have a good story because it's boring. Although, others argue that in “The Scarlet Ibis”, Doodles brother pushed

¨At six years old, when his brother is born, the narrator tells the reader that from the first, Doodle was "a disappointment." When he learns that Doodle is possibly mentally and physically challenged, the narrator begins his plan to kill his brother; however, his plans are soon discarded after Doodle smiles at him¨. (James Hurst) The main conflict of "The Scarlet Ibis" by James Hurst is Brother's inability to deal with Doodle's disabilities.

One example of this is their height although Doddle is small Simon is very small. Simon’s size affects how others see and treat him. Multiple times in the movie he is shown to be bullied and picked on by the kids. In one of the beginning scenes he is ever showed being picked up and carried like a little kid. In a later scene, the church he attends has a nativity, and he is chosen as baby jesus just because he is the only person small enough to fit inside the cradle. Doodle on the other hand is small but he is also very young. We do not see his size affect him, but other things to which leads me to my next point. This is significant because since Doodle is small, his heart is also very small. This causes him to die in the end due to overexertion. Simon and Doodle have very different amount of motor skills. Simon’s motor skills our very developed and do not restrict him in any way. He lives a healthy lifestyle, plays baseball, and even goes swimming with his best friend Joe. Doodle’s motor skills are very lacking though. In the beginning he can't even walk. Infact when Doodle was a infant Brother describes him crawling on the rug backwards, “As if he were reverse and he couldn't change gears”(262). This shows how truly lacking he was. Over time though Doodle is thought to do many things he did not think he could do. Brother wanted to teach him to walk , run, swim, row, climb trees, and even to fight. The importance of this is their different levels impacted them. Simon

James Hurst is the author of the heart breaking short story entitled “The Scarlet Ibis”. “The Scarlet Ibis” is a short story about two brothers; one brother is healthy, while the other is physically handicapped. The short story is centered on the idea that the older, healthier brother’s selfishness and pride ultimately led to the death of his younger brother, Doodle. Numerous quotes throughout the story demonstrate Hurst’s use of symbolism and foreshadowing to portray and predict Doodle’s untimely and heartbreaking death.

In “The Scarlet Ibis,” the author, James Hurst, uses indirect characterization, mainly through the narrator’s internal thoughts and feelings, to convey the theme that disabilities are not flaws in an individual, and that they are mere differences that make each individual unique. Early in the story, the author explains that Doodle, the narrator’s brother, has a deadly heart condition which prevents him from participating in activities such as running, jumping, swimming, and even walking. When Doodle is not expected to live when he is born, the narrator says that he does not want an “invalid” brother, but instead, wants a brother who can run around, jump, and play with him. Even the rest of the family does not believe that he is going to survive, and they do not even name him until he lives for three months. Later in the story, the narrator thinks, “...but he learned to crawl

In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, Hurst illustrates the struggle of one boy with his disability and his and his brothers expectations.

People being killed every day because they are different. The story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst is about a boy with a disorder that made him different from his family. But it's not okay to kill someone just for own Pride.

In The Scarlet Ibis, what evidence does the narrarator use to support his claim that Doodle was a burden in many ways?

“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.

The setting of “The Scarlet Ibis” helps prepare the readers’ state of mind from the very beginning. In the first place, the story takes place at the end of World War I and represents the internal conflict the narrator has as he struggles between guilt of his younger brother’s death and the acceptance of his brother’s disabilities. With this in mind, the narrator is abashed over Doodle’s inability to walk because he thinks disabilities are shameful, and he wanted a brother who was athletic, outgoing, and adventurous. For this reason,”When Doodle was five years old, I was embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldn't walk, so I set out to teach him (Hurst 417).” The narrator admits to going out of his way to train Doodle to walk because he has so much pride that it is getting in the way of more important goals, meaning he would rather have a “normal” brother than a happy one. The poor treatment of his brother ultimately leads to Doodle’s death. Furthermore, he forces Doodle to do things unwillingly, such as touch his own coffin and train him to be “normal”. The narrator traumatizes his little brother to think a certain way in order to become accepted by society. Even