Using your passage annotations from “The Scarlet Ibis,” write an essay that shows how the author uses such elements as diction, plot, imagery, figurative language, or point of view to characterize ____brother____.
Character: Brother
Characteristic
Support
Idea 1 cruel He made Doodle touch the coffin that would have been his. Brother was going to smother Doodle with a pillow. Brother leaves Doodle behind and is ultimately the cause of his death. Idea 2 caring Brother decides to help Doodle learn how to walk. He helps him be a “normal brother” by teaching him how to swim, walk, run, and etc. When Doodle dies, Brother shields his body from the rain. He cries when Doodle dies.
Idea 3 prideful He made doodle walk even though he didn’t have the physical ability. He made Doodle run through the storm which overworked his body. Brother made him show he was capable of doing things like other kids, so Brother wouldn’t be embarrassed.
Thesis: In The Scarlet Ibis, Brother is analyzed as cruel, caring, and melancholy.
Scarlet Ibis Essay
The “Scarlet Ibis” is a short story about a boy born with a medical condition, and his brother, who means well but is self absorbed. The story starts off about a grown man who recalls to the time when his little brother, Doodle is with him. It shows his guilt about Doodle’s death, his sorrow surrounding it, and it reflects on the good times they had together. In the “Scarlet Ibis” Brother is characterized as cruel, caring, and prideful.
