Brother's Death In The Scarlet Ibis

In the story the Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst the narrator knows what he did was wrong. In the end, he realized that his own pride was the downfall for his own little brother. For wanting a normal little brother and not a crippled one. As stated on page 2 “ It was bad enough having an invalid brother, but having one who possibly was not all there was unbearable, so I began to make my plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow”. Clearly, in this sentence, it shows that the narrator would rather have no brother at all than having one that is crippled. But as time went by he decided to give him a chance as time passed by he really developed a strong bond with doodle. They were usually always together and doodle didn't want to be separated from his older brother. At first, the narrator saw doodle and they told him he was going to die within the

James Hurst’s short story ” The Scarlet Ibis” tells a story about two brothers who have mixed feelings for each other. Doodle, crippled and mental, really loves his brother and all he wants is to please his brother and his family. Unfortunately, his brother doesn’t like him because he wanted a brother he could play with. He also believes that Doodle is a burden to him because he has to take him wherever he goes and has to take care of him.

“To be human is to be beautifully flawed.”(Eric Wilson). All humans are flawed. That is what makes them human. Flaws sometimes are hurtful, but they make the character interesting. In most stories, all developing characters have flaws. Many problems are caused by a character’s personal flaw. They can also be what draws the reader in, and it can be what connects the reader to the character. A certain fatal flaw is the inability to let go. In the stories, “Helen on Eighty-Sixth Street”, “The Cask of Amontillado”, and “The Scarlet Ibis” all of the characters are related because of their inability to let go.

First reason the narrator is guilty of Doodle’s death is because he was ashamed of him. This is clearly shown when brother makes the statement on page 347 “I was ashamed of having a crippled brother.” This clearly shows the narrator's shame in Doodle. Another statement

The brother is to blame for doodles death. Doodle was a disabled young child with a selfish brother that only looks out for himself. His brother was ashamed to be with or around him. One of the biggest reasons wanted him dead is because he was embarrassed to be around him. The three reasons I believe that the brother wanted to kill doodle was he was embarrassed, he pushed him to hard, and he was selfish.

In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, a boy is born crippled and no one thought he would live. The boy lived however, and they named him Doodle. Doodle and his brother were very close and Doodle loved his brother and never wanted his brother to leave him alone. Doodle’s brother was ashamed to have a crippled brother so he attempted to help doodle become normal throughout doodle’s life in the story. Doodle loved his brother, even though his brother was very selfish in his reasons to help Doodle to become normal, and his brother realized how selfish and guilty he was when it was to late for Doodle in the end.

C.S. Lewis once quoted, “A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and of, course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” This exemplifies the genuine idea of what pride can do to a soul. Many never fully acknowledge the sincere people who sit around them, and the beauties these individuals hold. Similarly, in Hurst’s, “The Scarlet Ibis,” Doodle’s older brother, the narrator, is driven to push Doodle to succeed in various activities, because he cannot seem to see Doodle’s “inner beauty.” As the thought of making Doodle the best he can be, and displaying his “inner beauty,” eventually leads to a horrific tragedy. To clarify, in “The Scarlet Ibis,” the narrator is introduced as a conceited, self-centered boy, who forcefully

“‘Doodle!’ I screamed above the pounding storm and threw my body to the earth above his” (426). In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the narrator, known as Brother, brings his younger brother, Doodle, to his destined death a little earlier in his life. Brother, being only thirteen, does not think very highly of his six year old younger brother Doodle. Doodle’s real name is William Armstrong but the narrator discovered his nickname when he sees him crawling backwards like a doodlebug. Doodle has a variety of physical limitations such as he cannot become “too excited, too hot, too cold, or too tired and that he must always be treated gently” (417).The narrator resents Doodle due to all these physical limitations. The ways the narrator in “The Scarlet Ibis” kills his younger brother are he pushes his physical conditions, he is prideful, and he abandons him.

James Hurst short story "The Scarlet Ibis" the narrator is responsible for Doodle's death. During the story, the narrator complains about his brother and how he is an embarrassment. The narrator forced Doodle to walk, run, swim, fight, and climb when he was already sick. It puts so much pressure on Doodle that it made him give up. It's the narrators fault for the following reasons: he was selfish, he was embarrassed of him, and he pressured him.

The narrator from "The Scarlet Ibis", causes Doodles death because he left him off in the rain. The brother was angry doodle had failed his expectations. Doodle stepped off the boat and collapsed onto the mud. (p.425) They both felt like they had failed. “Brother, Brother, Brother, do not leave me! Do not leave me!” (p.425) Brother left and he did not come back to save him till it was to late because he was disappointed in Doodle for not running fast enough to keep up with him. All these reasons on how Brother was mad a Doodle comes to a conclusion on why he causes Doodles

In conclusion, the narrator in "The Scarlet Ibis" causes his brother's death by getting him too excited, pushing him too hard, and by leaving him when he knows how bad his condition is. The narrator did not realize it but, life can change in a split second. In the end, the narrator shelters Doodle just like Doodle shelters the Scarlet Ibis when it

Him as a brother” (paragraph 7, page 2) and “ man up it's just a dead bird” (paragraph 5, page 6)

Have you ever killed someone because your pride was hurt? The narrator in the short story "The Scarlet Ibis," by James Hurst, has always wanted a brother so bad. He finally gets a brother that everyone expects to die before being born. By some miracle the little brother didn’t die, so they decided to name him Doodle. At the end Doodle does die and this essay is to say if the narrator is guilty or not. The narrator didn’t really love Doodle, was cruel to him, and thought him how to stuff out of his own selfishness, so thank to the gift of pride, the narrator is guilty for the murder of his brother Doodle.

Throughout the world, more than eighty five percent of people have or are affected by low self esteem. In the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, it clearly shows the theme that others should not influence all of one’s thoughts and actions. Doodle is a child born with disabilities and his brother, the narrator, supports him and helps him find a place to fit into society and to achieve self-esteem throughout the story. Self-esteem is found negatively and positively in both the narrator and Doodle.

Doodles brother is responsible for the death of his own brother. Three big reasons that led me to believe this is that he always wanted doodle gone from the beginning, he was ashamed and very embarrassed of having a disabled brother, and that he only helped doodle for his own personal benefit. All of those show why he left his brother in that storm to die.