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Pride Leads To A Destruction: The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst

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Sowmya Vithiyashankar Smith Lit/Writ (7) 11 September 2017 Pride Leads to a Destruction In the story “ The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, Hurst uses the indirect characterization of the narrator shown through his actions to show how one’s pride can cause one to do wrong. The narrator has a brother named Doodle. He is a five year old boy that has difficulty in walking. The narrator teaches Doodle how to walk because he is ashamed of him. That incident is what caused the narrator to attempt to kill his brother by smothering him with his pillow. He does this because he can’t accept that Doodle is not normal. His pride is abolished when he feels shame and embarrassment through his brother’s lack of success in physical activities.

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