Symbolism In The Scarlet Ibis By Hurst

The narrator uses the scarlet ibis as a way to cope with his grief, while also making Doodle’s death look honorable as he refers to Doodle as his “fallen scarlet ibis” (Hurst 441). The scarlet ibis was ethereal in Doodle’s eyes; therefore, the narrator calls Doodle a scarlet ibis to revere him by referring to something Doodle himself revered. The narrator envisions Doodle as the beautiful, majestic scarlet ibis that they witnessed die in their front yard as a way of deflecting the guilt Brother feels about Doodle's death. James Hurst utilizes the color red to symbolize the guilt that Brother feels as it says about Doodle before he died he was bleeding from multiple places and the front of his shirt “were stained a brilliant red” (Hurst 441). The narrator attributes Doodle’s blood as a brilliant red indicating that he found his death somewhat beautiful since the word brilliant carries a positive connotation. By finding beauty in Doodle’s horrible death, the narrator has found yet another way to overcome the misery he feels for the death of his beloved brother. Symbolism proves vital for the reader to understand the different methods the narrator applies to withstand the guilt that overwhelms

James Hurst, the author of “The Scarlet Ibis”, uses death and birds as symbols to show how Doodle is fragile and could die at any moment. Red is a color that is often associated with evil and other times it represents love. Birds also represent death and fragility, but they also mean freedom and change. This shows how Doodle’s and Brother’s paradoxical relationship changes from Brother being evil and selfish, to him being an extremely helpful and caring brother.

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

In the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis”, by James Hurst, the narrator suffers from an internal battle with his own ego to convey the message that pride blinds any because people are, to a degree, naturally selfish. In the beginning of the story, after the narrator presents his family the miracle of Doodle walking, Older Brother starts crying secretly because he knew he made Doodle walk out of his own selfish reasons. When Doodle took his public first steps for the first time the narrator confesses an important reason from his point of view, thinking, “Doodle told them it was I who taught him to walk, so everyone wanted to hug me, and I began to cry. ‘What are you crying for?’ asked Daddy, but I couldn’t answer. They did not know that I did it for myself: that pride,

The narrator regrets how he pushed Doodle far beyond his limits. Now that the Brother is older, he knows how pride can affect him. “I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death.”(4) When the Brother got Doodle to stand, he was confident in Doodle to accomplish any physical movement. So he expected more and more out of Doodle. But he didn’t know the pain and the danger of trying to exceed the limit of one’s body. Now, after all the years have passed by, the narrator realize that his love for Doodle. “But sometimes (like right now), as I sit in the cool, green-draped parlor, the grindstone begins to turn, and time with all its changes is ground away--and I remember Doodle.”(1) The years have taken away the cruelty and selfishness in the Brother’s early year and he was sorry for how he forced and threatened Doodle. The narrator looks over the cruel moments he had with Doodle and blames Doodle’s death on himself. “They did not know that I did it for myself; that pride, whose slave I was, spoke to me louder than all the other voices, and that Doodle walked only because I was ashamed of having a crippled brother.”(5) The voice here is very regretful of his sins, and wants to fix what he had already

Symbols are used to represent something else deeper than the actual meaning either in real life or in literature. In the story “The Scarlet Ibis”, Doodle who is mentally and physically disabled was not expected to live. Although, he did live, however, he could not do things other children could do such as walk or talk. Therefore, his older brother set out to teach him because he was embarrassed to have an abnormal brother. However, many years later Doodle is soon overworked until he can no longer go on, and he sadly dies. In “The Scarlet Ibis”, James Hurst uses the caul, the oriole nest, and the blood od Doodle as symbols to offer greater insight into abstract ideas that are difficult to understand on their own.

The author points out, “But all of us must have something or someone to be proud of, and Doodle had become mine. I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death.”(32). The tone here is shown by a metaphor which describes the different types of pride. This quote proves that he loves having Doodle to have someone to root for, but when he does not succeed there is no pride. This is when there is a quick mood shift for the reader but the figurative language used explains it. According to the author, “‘What are you crying for?’ asked Daddy, but I couldn't answer. 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 a crippled brother.” This quote uses diction like ashamed and slave to show that his brother’s accomplishments were all from his own selfish wants. This creates a mood of being upset because while there is pride for Doodle, the brother is being selfish because he wanted a normal brother. Overall, pride can be a uplifting but can also be for someone’s own selfish reasons.

“The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst is a realistic fiction about these two brothers, Doodle, and Doodle’s brother who was the narrator of the story, many symbols are used. A symbol is a materialistic object being put in place for an abstract or complex emotion, or idea. For example the emojis you use when texting are symbols you use to express how you are feeling. In this story, Doodle is being symbolized by the Scarlet Ibis, the Scarlet Ibis is a bird and a symbol for Doodle because of their many similarities. An example of the Scarlet Ibis symbolizing Doodle is when Hurst describes the physical health of Doodle and the Ibis. He describes Doodle as being very sick and weak at the beginning of the story by saying “He seemed all head, with a tiny body which was red and shriveled like an old man's. Everybody thought he was going to die-everybody except Aunt Nicey….” (Hurst page 1). Later on in the story when the Scarlet Ibis is introduced, Doodle’s father describes the bird as: “It looks tired, or maybe sick”(Hurst page 5). By giving Doodle and the Scarlet Ibis such similar physical features, it insinuates that whatever happens to the Scarlet Ibis will more than likely happen to Doodle. Another example of the Scarlet Ibis being a symbol for Doodle is when the Scarlet Ibis dies.” At that moment the bird began to flutter, but the wings were uncoordinated, and amid much flapping and a spray of flying feathers, it tumbled down, bumping through the limbs of the bleeding tree and

The first and one of the most important literary devices you can detect in this writing, is the usage of flashback. Hurst uses flashback to develop the whole story, relationship between Doodle and Brother, and explain what happened to Doodle. A majority of “The Scarlet Ibis” is told through this flashback and past tense. The flashback improves the story and is used in a way to show Brother at the beginning and how much his past with Doodle still affects him. We really get to see that guilt and even his maturity when he is older, because he goes back to all these places where him and Doodle played and grew up. Yet even though it's so far in the past, going to his old home and fields brings back painful memories. *

Symbolism is used to signify ideas and qualities about an object or idea and is used when the author wants to give those objects or ideas meanings different from their literal sense. Symbols are often used in literature to bring a deeper meaning to a story or work. These meanings can emphasize or intensify feelings of anything from love and hope, to danger and sadness. James Hurst uses symbolism in his work, “The Scarlet Ibis”, to convey and emphasize some of these feelings and ideas in his story. “The Scarlet Ibis” centers around the lives of Brother, a very driven and determined child, and his younger brother, Doodle, an innocent and naive individual with a heart condition that causes doctors to believe that he

In “The Scarlet Ibis”, Hurst demonstrates through indirect characterization the narrator’s selfishness, that being prideful can cause harm for the ones close. Doodle’s brother always wanted someone to play with, but when he found out about his “invalid” disabled brother he was disgusted, disrespectful, and selfish. He had thought of helping his brother as a burden, and his pride was too high too accept the fact. So Doodle’s brother set out to teach Doodle how to walk, only because “[he] did it for [himself]: that pride, whose slave [he] was, spoke to [him] louder than all [the family], and that Doodle walked only because [he] was ashamed of having a crippled brother.”(10) In this quote we see Doodle’s brother show his selfish side when he describes how he helped his brother “for [himself].” What he meant was that he only wanted to help because of his pride.

“The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst compares one of the protagonists, Doodle to a bird called the Scarlet Ibis. Doodle has heart problems and during the 1900s medical care is not as advanced as it is today so he is not able to receive the proper medical care that he needs. Despite popular opinion, Doodle survives and constantly falls behind all of his classmates. Doodle’s brother always dreamed of playing catch and games together is determined have a “normal” brother. Brother pushes and pushes until Doodle can’t take it anymore and sadly dies alone on the side of the street similar to the Scarlet Ibis. This bird arrives in their family’s yard and is too weak to continue which can be compared to Doodle. Through appearance and symbolism the Scarlet

In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” the author, James Hurst, uses the ibis to symbolize people who are lost and out of place. This then leads to play a role in the development of the theme, which is that people should love others for who they are and it’s wrong to try to change who people really are. In the story, the ibis itself is only in the story for a very brief amount of time. In fact the author introduces the bird on page 26, and the bird dies a few paragraphs later on that same page. Some may wonder how something that was in the story for such a brief amount of time can have any significance that could potentially lead to a possible theme. But page 26 it reads, “At that moment the bird began to flutter, but the wings were uncoordinated,

Throughout the “The Scarlet Ibis,” decisions are used to exhibit each of the character’s personality through its actions, while diction gives the character a certain disposition. Hurst comments, “...I would say ‘Doodle, don’t you want to learn to walk?’ He’d nod his head, and I’d say, ‘Well if you don’t keep trying, you’ll never learn.’ Then I’d paint a picture of us as old men, whitehaired, him with the long white beard and still pulling him around in the go-cart. This never failed to make him try again.” (32) Based on the text, an individual can understand that the Brother (narrator) makes a negative decision to help influence Doodle into walking, as he states, “Then I’d paint a picture of us as old men… him with the long white beard till pulling him around in the go-cart.” This negative choice reveals Doodle’s attitude to strive harder and learn how to walk, which shows his confident and striving personality. Hurst uses decisions to show each character’s personality, and as both characters are developed as strong-willed, Hurst states, “It was bad enough having an invalid brother, but having one that was possibly not all there was unbearable, so I began to make plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow. However, one afternoon as I watched him… he looked straight at me and grinned.” (31) Based on this evidence, a reader can

A soft bird, standing in the cold wind ready to be one with the small child. The scarlet ibis is lifted from the world, and once again flying free. James Hurst, author of “The Scarlet Ibis” introduces readers to this very image through the life journey of his main character, Doodle. While Doodle is symbolized by a bird, Hurst also uses other symbols and imagery to create a mournful tone throughout his short story. Hurst uses the coffin and scarlet ibis to show symbolism. Hurst also uses the flower garden to create a better tone. Direct words and thoughts from the characters, and images suggests that James Hurst is mournful to the thought of death.