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The Scarlet Ibis Conflict Between Pride And Compassion

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In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis,” James Hurst elucidates the conflict between pride and compassion, and ultimately demonstrates that pride overcomes compassion. “The Scarlet Ibis” illustrates a tale of the narrator and his brother, Doodle, who had a physical disability and wasn’t expected to live after birth. Often, Brother resents the fact that he has a brother unable to do the same things he does; sometimes he loves and cares for his brother, taking Doodle everywhere with him, but other times he can only be mean, forcing Doodle to touch the coffin made for him. When Doodle turns five, Brother sets out to teach Doodle how to walk—even though the doctors said he wasn’t able to walk—and his family was joyous when they learned that he taught

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