The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurts: Literary Analysis

“Brother, brother, don’t leave me!” In the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis,” James Hurts writes about a child who is born with disabilities that cause him to be treated differently. Eventually, his older brother is so embarrassed by him that he decides to teach him to be normal and the ways of life. The author writes about how embarrassing feelings overcome people and force them to do strange things they would have never done before. Also, the leading results can impact someone’s individual life. Doodle’s disabilities affected him from birth so he was not treated equal and his brother wanted him to learn the things he should already know. What prompted Doodle’s brother to help him was embarrassment which over came all of his feelings. Being different was hard for Doodle but at times it was harder for his brother to put up with because, as the narrator states, “Doodle was my brother and he was going to cling to me forever, no matter what I did.”(Hurts 159). Unfortunately Doodle was told he would never live and because of that he was never taught anything as a child. It would take Doodle a long time to learn everything. Luckily he had his brother who would have to be with him all the time. All Doodle’s brother wanted was for him to succeed and be seen as a

While doing this, his brother was there helping him the whole time. The one reason Doodle’s brother decided to help was because he was ashamed that his brother could not do anything. Emotions changed the narrator and made him feel something that lead to an opportunity. That opportunity was helping Doodle be normal and it changed him and his family’s emotions for the better. Waiting for the worst to happen will not get anyone anywhere. Taking action and doing the right things even if it is difficult and a challenge is the best thing to