Scarlet Ibis Analysis

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.

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.

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

In many cultures, coming of age is often celebrated because children become young adults who grasp self-awareness and accountability. At the same time, childhood is threatened by responsibility, which is dreaded because there is an unpredictable world of adulthood waiting with no guarantees. James Hurst demonstrates the journey of growing up through life experiences everyone goes through in the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis”. Throughout his use of mood, setting, and symbolism, Hurst shows that maturing requires reflecting on past experiences and losing innocence, which then can transform one’s outlook on life.

Brother in James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” and the narrator in Tillie Olsen's “I Stand Here Ironing” are determined.

“We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools”(Martin Luther King Jr). MLK says this when talking about white and black men however, his words can also be said about the relationship between literal brothers. A relationship between two brothers is not the easiest of kinds. Competitiveness is coiled around it, and disappointment lingers around its edges. In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the narrator is a bad brother to his little brother Doodle by being ashamed, selfish, and pushing Doodle too far.

Siblings may not always get along or like each other, but they must love one another. In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” written by James Hurst. Two brothers Doodle and Brother shared many spontaneous, exciting, and fun filled adventures together, Brother showed Doodle many wonderful things. The actions of Brother, the adventures and sights they shared  had a positive effect on Doodles life.

In the story The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst, A child is confronted with the mental effects of him growing up and having to help with his handicapped brother. His brother's name is Doodle, and he is Paralympic. Throughout the story, the narrator tries to control split personality, his nice and helpful side and his greedy side. The narrator decided halfway through the story to help Doodle walk, and he ended up pushing Doodle to the point of death because of his heart disease. I feel as if the narrator had a part in the death of his brother.

“The Scarlet Ibis,” is an interesting story about two boys and their family. This story shows a lot about what someone would do just to have someone be proud of them, and it shows what someone would do so they won’t be embarrassed or laughed at. This story explains what people would do in situations, but it shows it in different perspectives. Comparing and contrasting of the two main characters in the story will help some people get a better understanding of the story and why a Scarlet Ibis is something that resembles the younger brother. A scarlet Ibis, a bird that dies in the story represents the main character who you will find quite interesting through the full story.

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst make it clear that it is important to support one another, especially in a relationship where one is weaker than the other. In Of Mice and Men, George is constantly dismissing Lennie, by saying hurtful things like “‘When I think of the swell time I could have without you, I go nuts.’”(12). George also dismisses Lennie when he “scowled at him”. Since he most likely doesn’t understand what’s happening in Lennie’s mind, he doesn’t want to take the time to try to understand, just like Doodle’s brother in The Scarlet Ibis. Doodle’s brother gets a “streak of cruelty” within himself awaked, just as George, when Lennie asks for something from him.

Social anxiety disorder, which is also called social phobia involves overwhelming worry and self-consciousness about everyday social situations. The worry often centers on a fear of being judged by others, or behaving in a way that might cause embarrassment or lead to ridicule. The fear may be made worse by a lack of social skills or experience in social situations. The anxiety can build into a panic attack. As a result of the fear, the person endures certain social situations in extreme distress or may avoid them altogether. In addition, people with social anxiety disorder often suffer anticipatory anxiety, the fear of a situation before it even happens, for days or weeks before the event. In many cases, the person is aware that the fear is unreasonable, yet is unable to overcome it. (Goldberg)

     Social anxiety is the fear of social situations and the interaction with other people that can automatically bring on feelings of self-consciousness, judgement, evaluation, and inferiority. Put differently social anxiety is the fear and anxiety of being judged and evaluated negatively by other people, leading to feelings of inadequacy, embarrassment, humiliation, and depression. If a person usually becomes anxious in social situations, but seems fine when they are by them selves, then social anxiety may be the problem.

others, being criticized, or being observed by others. Symptoms of social anxiety are high levels of stress, negative thought process, racing heart, sweating palms, etc. (Richards, 2015).