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Theme Of Listening In The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst

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In the words of M Scott Peck, “By far the most important form of attention we can give our loved ones is listening… True listening is love in action.” The importance of listening to what others have to say is great deal, it is one of the most common ways humans interact with one another. It is also one of the many skills that is considered to be necessary in life, especially when it comes to communicating with someone important such as your loved ones. Listening isn’t utterly about being there, but it is also about support and showing how much you care. This is how the narrator abandoned Doodle in James Hurst’s short story, “The Scarlet Ibis,” leaving Doodle to die. As Doodle’s brother repeatedly neglects and tortures Doodle throughout the story, readers realize the theme of the story, which is people should always listen to what …show more content…

Like the scarlet ibis, Doodle was found frail and limp in appearance: “His little legs, bent sharply at the knees, had never before seemed so fragile, so thin” (426). The scarlet ibis is also described as a bright red: “...for it lay on the earth like a broken vase of red flowers…”(424). This is very iconic to the story because the color of the bird as well as the “brilliant red” stain of the blood on Doodle’s shirt suggests their fates were connected as well as this vivid imprint in the narrator’s head. Both the scarlet ibis as well as Doodle were overworked to death, and the color red is the color of extremes, suggesting their bodies worked to the very last of its abilities. If the narrator were to listen to Doodle’s plead for help: “Brother, brother, don't leave me! Don’t leave me!” moments before Doodle’s death and stopped to help his brother. The narrator wouldn;t have to carry the burden of knowing he neglected his brother’s words leading jim to

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