Scarlet Ibis Color Red Analysis

650 Words2 Pages

Hurst, the author of The Scarlet Ibis, uses the color red to symbolize a recurring theme throughout the story which is: Pride can aid, but if not controlled will cause harm. The color red is used throughout the story symbolically, to convey the author’s message. The color in itself has two sides to it; one being that it is a royal color, meaning pride, love, and power. The other is that red represents danger, blood, death, and destruction. Just like the color, pride also has two sides to it. Pride encouraged Brother, the narrator and protagonist of the story, to teach Doodle, his younger brother, to walk. However, pride then began to pull Brother into dangerous territory, and caused harm to Doodle. Pride, like the color red is filled with the yearning to see our loved ones do well. Just like the alternate side of the color red that brings destruction, pride’s alternate side …show more content…

One of the first few instances where the color red is portrayed negatively is when Doodle is just a small infant, and is trying to learn to sit up. Here, we see Doodle trying to be normal, trying to push himself beyond his limits, and turning red in color. This is seen in the quote, “Trembling, he’d push himself up, turning first red, the as soft purple, and finally collapse back onto the bed like a worn out doll” (Hurst 464). This scene uses the color red to symbolize that it takes every last bit of Doodle’s energy to accomplish everyday tasks. Him turning red, signals danger and possible early childhood death, because of Doodle pushing himself. This scene, however, is trivial in comparison to the ones later in the story. Once Brother believes that his not fully

Show More
Related

  • Sensory Language In Andrea Ashworth's Once In A House On Fire

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    For example the connotation ‘red’ is the colour of fire, danger, power, caution and malice. ‘Red’ is an emotionally intense colour and is a consistent theme that builds up like a heated fire because Peter is full of rage and wrath and he is the “red herring” because he is distracting the mum from the truth about the abuse he is causing.

    Read More

  • How Does Woolrich Use Symbols In It Had To Be Murder

    762 Words  | 2 Pages

    I have very good sight. One moment they were white, the next red, the next blue. Then I got it. They were a woman’s dresses”. At first, I did not pay attention to the colors of the dresses, but then I realized the pattern of colors in order. In this case, I believe white represents light, goodness, and pureness. The red represents anger, blood and possibly murder. The last but not least, the color blue that represents wisdom, loyalty, and truth. It seemed to me that the author used colors symbolizes the story from the beginning to the end. I believe it is a hint for us to what to expect and what not to since Jeffries was right all along the

    Read More

  • Commentary on Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

    601 Words  | 2 Pages

    Laura Esquivel uses the color red to symbolize love and passion in relationships. In the following quote "Mamma Elena had come to get a sheet or something and had caught Tita red-handed."(p. 136) The little box that contained mamma Elena's old love letters with her old love, Jose Trevino. Tita, being caught 'red-handed' may symbolize that her hands had been stained and contaminated with the love that was concealed inside the box.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Ibis Pride Analysis

    326 Words  | 1 Pages

    Author James Hurst once quoted, “I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death.” Why does life end out the way it does when pride infects it with its poison? In “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, pride proves to be more wonderful than terrible for the characters.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Ibis Compare And Contrast

    354 Words  | 1 Pages

    In the story The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurts the two protagonist were Doodle and Doodle’s brother, the narrator. The relationship of Doodle and the narrator is based on pride. Along with pride the narrator was ashamed and embarrassed of Doodle.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Ibis Literary Analysis

    379 Words  | 1 Pages

    In “The Scarlet Ibis,” Hurst demonstrates that expecting too much of others will push them past their breaking point through the use of characterizing the narrator as conceited and self-centered through his forceful actions, mainly due to pride, towards his brother Doodle. Throughout the story, the narrator manages to push his brother to his limit by continuously forcing him to take part in activities beyond his athletic abilities, which eventually leads to his downfall. After the narrator’s attempt to run a development program for Doodle,

    Read More

  • The Symbolic Ibis

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    I first notice Brother’s conflicting actions when he is dangerous and harmful toward Doodle, yet protective. He first acts dangerously when he ignores “A long list of don’ts…once they are out of the house” (Hurst 111). For example, this first action is like Paris Green because Paris Green is a harmful poisonous chemical used to kill and in the list of don’ts he must be treated gently. The Paris Green therefore symbolizes the deadly actions and situations Brother puts Doodle in, even though he should be treated gently. I see Brother being protective and caring when, “I [was dragging] him across the burning cotton field to shave with him the only beauty I [know], Old Warren Swamp” (Hurst 111). When Brother took Doodle to Old Woman Swamp the action of bringing doodle was caring and the atmosphere of the swamp is protective and green like the Paris green. In addition, the paris green is also protective feature just like Brother is towards to Doodle. Therefore, the Paris green is a important representative symbol that symbolizes the destructive yet caring actions towards Doodle from Brother.

    Read More

  • The Red Symbol in The Handmaid's Tale

    1155 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the dystopian novel, "The Handmaid's Tale" written by Margaret Atwood, the color red is a reoccurring, significant symbol throughout the book. The dominant color of the novel, the color red is paired with the Handmaids. The Handmaids are always seen in their red uniform, even down to their red shoes and red gloves. From the opening pages of the novel we are informed that they are trained at the “Red Centre,” and we are introduced to the importance of the red imagery as Offred, the narrator and protagonist of the novel, describes herself getting dressed: “The red gloves are lying on the bed. Everything except the wings around my face is red.” Which reveals to us how the handmaid’s are required to wear all red, representative of the way they are visually defined, and therefore confined within their role in the caste system as sexual servants to their Commanders.

    Read More

  • The Color Red In The Handmaid's Tale

    314 Words  | 1 Pages

    The dominate and central symbol within the story of “The Handmaid’s Tale” is the color red. It is used widely throughout the entire story and develops the main ideas located around the topic of pregnancy, the handmaid’s, and life and death. One example of this color red is found in the beginning of the story, where it states that “Everything except the wings around my face is read the color blood, which defines us.” (Atwood 8). In this novel, the handmaids always where uniforms that are only the color of a deep red. The interesting part of this color choice, is that the color reed normally stands out but these women are meant to stand out but fade into the background. The red in the case of the handmaid’s uniform is thought to symbolize many

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst: Literary Analysis

    804 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, in “The Scarlet Ibis” the color red is a major symbol that represents the life and death of Doodle. The color red in the story shows what both the scarlet ibis and Doodle looked like in general and when they died. Usually red is compared to blood and the author used this in the story to describe how there was blood on their

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Ibis

    420 Words  | 1 Pages

    James Hurst's short story, "The Scarlet Ibis" reveals that the brotherly bond between the narrator and Doodle is an essential component in the story. If Doodle was a girl, the brotherly connection and bond would be lost, resulting in many variations throughout the story. If Doodle was a girl the narrator probably wouldn't spend as much time with Doodle. A brother-brother relationship is very different than a brother-sister relationship. Doodle would likely be closer to another female such as her mother.

    Read More

  • Raise In Red Lantern

    347 Words  | 1 Pages

    In ¡§Raise the Red Lantern¡¨, the red lantern, an invented icon here (and one accused of being a fake cultural signifier used merely for sensational purposes), is the film¡¦s central symbol and most important metaphor. The colour red is a symbol of sexuality and eroticism, but no longer of passion. More importantly, it turns out to be associated with patriarchal and political power. To get the lantern lit refers to the victory of one woman over all the others, but at the same time it still represents failure for all the women because the woman who gains the lit lantern must be totally exposed, under the red light, before the gaze and under the control of the man. The color red here remains a symbol of blood and death, as in the death scenes of both the servant Yan¡¦er and the third wife, who dared to disobey the rules.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Ibis Death Analysis

    737 Words  | 2 Pages

    In “The Scarlet Ibis,” written by James Hurst, Doodle, a boy born with health problems, experiences cruel actions from his older brother who wishes Doodle would have been born as normal as possible with no health conditions. As Doodle grows his older brother tries to teach him to be as normal as Doodle portrays to be capable to be, such as teaching him to walk, although this affects Doodle’s health severely, which eventually leads to his early death. The narrator in “The Scarlet Ibis” causes Doodle’s death by leaving Doodle in the rain, teaching him things that affects his health, and creating a sense of curiosity.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Ibis Analysis

    1013 Words  | 3 Pages

    James Hurst is the author of the heart breaking short story entitled “The Scarlet Ibis”. “The Scarlet Ibis” is a short story about two brothers; one brother is healthy, while the other is physically handicapped. The short story is centered on the idea that the older, healthier brother’s selfishness and pride ultimately led to the death of his younger brother, Doodle. Numerous quotes throughout the story demonstrate Hurst’s use of symbolism and foreshadowing to portray and predict Doodle’s untimely and heartbreaking death.

    Read More

  • The Handmaid´s Tale: A Community Made of Classes

    1330 Words  | 3 Pages

    The symbol red stands for the Handmaids. They are considered to be the lowest class where they are solely looked at for their reproductive abilities. Once they have transformed to a Handmaid and lost all individual differences they are sent to live with the commanders and their wives. There, “they force you to kill, within yourself” and demoralize one into a sex slave made to have babies (Atwood 193).

    Read More

More about Scarlet Ibis Color Red Analysis

Open Document