The Scarlet Ibis Relationship 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

Throughout the past and shown within publications there has been many deaths throughout the world not just because of murder. Often people die because there is nothing you could do to prevent it. In James Hurst’s The Scarlet Ibis, the character's Brother and Doodle a character dies. The story takes place at a house and in some type of forest. The main character's in the story go to a farm and play and learn new things everyday. The death of Doodle’s was not because of Brother but because of nature.

The narrator, Brother, tells the story of Doodle, his brother, and his childhood with all his disabilities; starting off by telling about Doodle when he was a baby and toddler, about how he could not do much for himself for a long time, but eventually learns to crawl. He soon moves onto when Doodle got a little older and Brother would have to take him everywhere he went and how the two would take on the mission of teaching Doodle to walk; they spent almost everyday out in the woods making Doodle stronger and stronger. On Doodle’s sixth birthday, they showed the family what he could do;

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.

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.

In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis,” James Hurst uses motif, tone, and flashback to convey the guilt Brother feels when Doodle dies. Hurst uses motif to emphasize important moments, while portraying a remorseful tone, yet also sharing Brother’s thoughts by using flashback.

Pride can be a fulfilling quality at times, it can be your antagonist. It often breeds to cruelty. In “The Scarlet Ibis”, written by James Hurst, cruel pride is shown perfectly and tragically. In which Brother, the narrator, wanted a normal brother, a partner who 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). So ashamed, he killed his wounded brother trying to make him normal.

“But a man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed, but not defeated.” (Ernest Hemingway) The Scarlet Ibis is about a boy who wants to teach is disabled brother, Doodle, to do normal things, but the boy does not know when enough is enough. Brother pushed Doodle so hard, it eventually to his death. Brother and Doodle did not accept defeat, but only Doodle was destroyed. In the story, The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst, the theme ego cannot accept defeat is revealed through symbolism and rising action.

George and Doodle’s older brother both show cruelty and can easily be compared because of their similar “older brother” positions. Neither of them had wanted or meant for the death of their younger counterparts, and so they both felt remorse and emotional pain because of what they had done. After George had to shoot Lennie he was in so much emotional pain that he could barely speak, and his “voice was almost a whisper… George let himself be helped up to his feet (107).” Doodle’s death was also very impacting on his older brother,

Relationships bring us together. If you’re having a bad day, being able to confide in a friend or family member who understands you is comforting. But what do you do if you don’t have someone who understands what you’re going through? In the short story, The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst, Doodle and the Ibis are connected through their similarities of circumstance.

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.