Figurative Language In Scarlet Ibis

Often, authors will use symbolism to add meaning and depth to their story that literal of a young 14 year old boy and his brother Doodle. Doodle has a physical disability and can’t walk. However his brother makes him walk and teaches him to do other things he couldn’t do, words never could. James Hurst, the author of “The Scarlet Ibis” is no expectation. Hurst writes because he was embarrassed of him.

Doodle’s Death “The Scarlet Ibis”, is a short story written by James Hurst, which follows two parents not caring enough for their invalid child, leading him to his death. This eminent author allows for the readers to infer, which individual is responsible for Doodle’s death. Many readers choose to believe Brother for Doodle’s death, however, that is truly not the case. Readers choose this innocent person due to the actions he takes during the end of the story but, they do not observe the subtle hints that are added by the author. All the evidence throughout the story blatantly accuses the parents for being responsible for Doodle being deceased.

In the story, “The Scarlet Ibis” author James Hurst uses indirect characterization through the thoughts and feeling of the protagonist towards his little brother Doodle to establish a meaningful theme. The theme is that being ashamed of those close to you often makes you lose sight of what that person may be going through, leading to regret in the future. In the beginning of the story, the protagonist talks about how his baby brother’s crawling made him resemble a doodle bug. This is why he calls his brother Doodle. “Renaming my brother was perhaps the kindest thing I ever did for him, because nobody expects much from someone named Doodle,” (3) the protagonist proceeds to explain.

The narrow- mindedness of society in The Scarlet Ibis is portrayed through Brother’s prejudiced attitude towards Doodle. “It was bad enough having an invalid brother..... (pg. 2)” Since the disappointing birth of his younger sibling, Brother has been preoccupied with a major obsessive thought; how shameful it is to have a crippled brother. The need to not be seen as inferior, alongside Doodle, by society motivates Brother to teach his younger sibling to behave normally.

One symbol in “The Scarlet Ibis” is the casket built for Doodle as a baby. According to the text, “‘And before I’ll help you down from the loft, you’re going to have to touch it.’ ‘I won’t touch it,’ he said sullenly.” (paragraph 10, The Scarlet Ibis) it seems as if Brother knows what is going to happen in the near future because he denied Doodle of coming back down until he touched the coffin. There is a reason Doodle was so reluctant to reach out and touch the casket that was built for him as a baby.

Brother is cruel to Doodle.   When Doodle goes riding on the go-cart with Brother, Brother purposely hurts him to discourage him from riding with him. Brother doesn’t like having this image of the invalid brother, who can’t walk.  

Losing Doodle “It's okay to lose your pride over someone you love. Don't lose someone you love over your pride. ”(Unknown) Pride is a powerful thing. It can kill and raise up, it can keep you from admitting your wrong.

“I wanted a brother. But Mama, crying, told me that even if William Armstrong lived, he would never do these things with me. He might not, she sobbed, even be “all there.” He might as long as he lived, lie on the rubber sheet in the center of the bed in the front bedroom where the white marquisette curtains billowed out in the afternoon sea breeze, rustling like palmetto fronds” (Hurst 1). In this story William Armstrong (Doodle) is a little kid who has heart problems.

“It as in the clove of seasons, summer was dead but autumn had not yet been born, that the Ibis lit in the bleeding tree.” “The Scarlet Ibis,” by James Hurst is a short story about two brothers who lived on a cotton farm during World War I. In the story, the narrator goes through emotional struggles. The theme of the story is too much pride can lead to positive and negative effects. This theme is developed through the use of foreshadowing, symbolism, and conflict.

In James Hurst’s heartbreaking story The Scarlet Ibis, young Brother and Doodle find themselves bound by love. Hoping for companionship from Doodle, he faces disappointment as he observes his baby brother’s one capability: lying in bed. Unfortunately, he plans to murder Doodle by “smothering him with a pillow” until the day he notices Doodle lock eyes with him and smile. On this occasion, Brother shouts with joy, “Mama, he smiled. He's all there!

In the book “Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst Brother don’t really care about his brother Doodle very much. He don’t like that he is different and doesn’t like that he can’t do anything on his own. But Brother learns to give Doodle a chance and ends up loving him. Brother is a pretty good brother by the end and of the book.

The Narrator of “The Scarlet Ibis” has a disabled brother named Doodle. He had various disabilities and limitations. He could not walk and could barely sit up. Brother never really liked Doodle for many reasons. he was like a burden to him he always had to take him out and watch over him.

Shame is a powerful emotion that leads people to do things absentmindedly, that could lead to dreadful outcomes. In James Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” Doodle is a disabled child that can not do things that others can do easily. Brother tries to shape Doodle into a regular kid, which ends badly. When Doodle doesn't improve at as fast as his brother wants him to, he only pushes him harder. Brothers sense of shame leads to Doodle being pushed too hard and eventually dying.