Metaphors In The Scarlet Ibis
The story, “The Scarlet Ibis,” is written by the author, James Hurst. In the story, the narrator’s little brother is born with a disability. However, as the story progresses the narrator tries to teach his little brother, Doodle, how to walk, row, and other skills that he thinks that Doodle should know. The narrator has very high expectation for Doodle, but in the end, they’re not fulfilled. The author uses symbolism and metaphors to reveal Doodle’s uniqueness and sensitivity. The use of symbolism shows how Doodle is unique because of the way his mind works in the story. For example, when Doodle and his brother are sharing “lies” with each other, the narrator notices that Doodle’s “lies” were “twice as crazy.” This shows that Doodle was very creative when it came to telling stories. This is because he was a good storyteller in his own unique way. In addition, his “lies” also reflected on himself. In his “lies” the people had wings and “flew wherever they wanted to go.” This reveals that Doodle wanted to be like those people, so he used his unique storytelling skills to convey this message to his older brother in the form of “lies.” The reason why is that he was born with a disability, so he wished he could be normal and go …show more content…
For example, when the scarlet ibis first lands on the “bleeding tree,” the narrator reflects on Doodle’s reaction by saying that he “had never seen him stand still so long.” This shows that Doodle was upset about the death of the scarlet ibis. This is because he had felt a special connection with the bird. In addition, when the scarlet ibis died, Doodle “carried the bird around to the front yard and dug a hole in the flower garden,” and then he buried the bird. The reason why is that he was upset that something so similar to him had died. The use of metaphors and symbolism by the author were important because they revealed Doodle’s uniqueness and
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Show MoreWhat Is The Symbolism In The Scarlet Ibis
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393 Words | 2 Pages“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 landing at our feet with a thud. Its long, graceful neck jerked twice into an S, then straightened out, and the bird was still,” (Hurst 3). The Ibis is a symbol of Doodle and is used for the reader to see Doodle in another way. The Scarlet Ibis uses imagery and symbolism to build a deep and rich story. James Hurst uses imagery to bring the reader closer to the story and creates a deeper emotion.
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