Compare And Contrast The Scarlet Ibis And Simon Birch

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.

Pride can be a fulfilling quality at times, however, it can sometimes be your enemy. It often breeds cruelty. In “The Scarlet Ibis”, written by James Hurst, cruel pride is shown perfectly and tragically. Brother, the narrator, wanted a normal sibling; a partner who he could do leisure activities with. “I thought myself pretty smart at many things, like holding my breath, running, jumping, climbing vines in Old Woman Swamp, and I wanted more than anything else someone to race to Horsehead Landing, someone to box with, and someone to perch within the top fork of the great pine behind the barn, where across the fields and swamps you could see the sea. I wanted a brother.” (Hurst 595). Instead, he was born with “...an invalid brother…” (Hurst 595). Ashamed, he killed his wounded brother trying to make him normal.

Simon Birch and Doodle both had important brother figures in their life. Simon’s “brother” was Joe, his best friend that protected him and supported him through all situations. Joe protected him when people laughed at him, and stood by his side when Simon hit Joe’s mom, or was kicked out of the church. Joe was there for Simon, while Doodle’s brother was not. Doodle was a heavy burden on his brother: “He was a burden in many ways” (Hurst 431). For his brother was forced to lug Doodle with him everywhere he went, and Doodle was not a normal child or play friend for Brother to play with. Doodle was annoying and due to his

¨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.

Although Simon and Doodle are similar , they are also more different than alike. Their different personalities are one of the main differences that affect who they are. Simon is very outspoken and does what he wants to do, while Doodle is

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

“I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death”. “The Scarlet Ibis” is a short story that was set in 1918 and it was written by the author, James Hurst. The story is about a young boy (that goes by “Brother” in this story) who receives a younger brother by the name of William Armstrong. From the start, Brother noticed something off about his younger brother. It is believed that the young boy had a condition called “Hydrocephalus”, also known as water on the brain. He is believed to have this condition because his head is significantly larger than his body and that is an effect of Hydrocephalus. Due to his condition, the boy was not able to do much of anything. Brother thought that the name William Armstrong was not very fitting for the young boy, so he decided to rename him Doodle. As the story progresses, Brother tries his hardest to make Doodle able to do the things that a normal boy can do. In the end of the story, Doodle dies. It is arguable of whether or not Brother was responsible for Doodle’s death or not. Even though most people believe that Doodle’s death was caused by the storm or just his condition, Brother was responsible for Doodle’s death.

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

One has to use crutches and the other must use a motorized wheelchair to get around. These two teens and I participated with a homeschool theater company to put on a musical about being “different”. One of the young men was chosen to be the lead role, the “ugly duckling” that everyone labeled as useless and odd. Through this simple play, the cast demonstrated that being “different” from everyone else does not have to be a setback. Though these two have had to deal with constant and debilitating disadvantages throughout their lives, they still face their struggles with courage and humility. Their personalities shine and they treat others with respect. Having met them personally, I can testify that their lives are touching other people's lives and are encouraging others who have physical, mental, or emotional disabilities. By simply living their lives with positive attitudes and participating in a touching summer musical, they directly and indirectly show that disadvantages are not the end of the story: good can always come out of