Essay On The Character Of Brother In The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst

“No change of circumstances can repair a defect of character.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson. This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson truly shows how no matter how hard you want to “fit in” or change something about yourself or others, you shouldn’t force yourself to change who your true character is. The character of Brother from the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, was characterized as someone who does not want to be seen as “different”. The author James Hurst portrays Brother as selfish, yet affectionate throughout the story. Through Brother’s actions and words, he is depicted as selfish, and he just wants his younger brother Doodle to be more physically active with him. Doodle was born with many deformities, and he isn’t able to be on the same level as the other children. Throughout the story, Brother is very concerned about his self-image. He truly did not want a brother that couldn’t do anything a “normal” human being

And so, despite Doodle’s disabilities, he wanted to teach him how to walk, because he was ashamed of having a brother that couldn’t walk. For example, “Doodle told them it was I who had taught him how 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, 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.” (347). This quote from the story immensely shows how Brother is signified as selfish, and he forces Doodle to become someone he isn't, in order to not be perceived as different by other people. Brother tries to make the impossible, possible and thinks he can change Doodle’s inability to