Scarlet Ibis Compare And Contrast Essay

485 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Importance of family relationships essay

In the short story, "Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the tale of a tragic life and death between brothers is told. The downhearted story describes the relationship between two brothers and the family. However devastating as this story may be, it presents an extremely important message. The message being the importance of family, how the plot and the setting changes the relationship.
The many characters of “Scarlet Ibis”, each have a different type of relationship with each other well with the exception of doodle of course. One of the main character's name was William Armstrong otherwise known as “Doodle.” Doodle is a disabled child and is the younger brother of the narrator, he sees the beauty in life due to the fact he can’t do much. The narrator is the older brother of doodle, who holds hatred towards his brother but his hatred turns to love as the …show more content…

The family is quite isolated from other people, causing Doodle and his brother to become kind of close since there were no kids around. They played everyday together in a swamp which was near their house. This rural atmosphere that the author set also created a tighter bond in the family. Doodle would not have the same relationship with his brother if it weren’t for this isolated undertone. This kind of scary, threatening war environment also brought out more of a protective side of the parents with their children.
All together the main theme of the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis,” by James Hurst is the importance in family and is shown by characters, plot, and setting. The characters show it by the narrator helping Doodle learn how to walk. The plot relates to the theme by Doodle not being able to walk but by the end of the story Doodle had enough strength to get up and bury a bird. And lastly the setting relates to the theme by creating an isolated undertone so the Narrator and Doodle both get along because they both isolated by other

Show More
Related

  • Scarlet ibis essay

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the short story The Scarlet ibis, the author James Hurst suggests how choices can affect an individual’s life.

    Read More

  • James Hurst's The Scarlet Ibis

    497 Words  | 1 Pages

    Blood is thicker than water, but sometimes pride is thicker than both. Such is the case with James Hurst's "The Scarlet Ibis." This is a dramatic short story about two brothers, in which the older brother manipulates and is later responsible for the death of his younger brother, Doodle. These actions proved that he did not love Doodle.

    Read More

  • Pride And Pride In The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst

    943 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since the beginning of time, mankind has sheltered their fragile egos, in which is driven by one main attribute, pride. If mankind’s ego is placed in harm's way, their lousy judgment takes over thus causing them to conceive loathsome ideas which their greed feeds upon. When mankind reflects on their dishonorable actions, a wave of regret and disappointment washes over them. This wave of resentment is what Doodle’s brother, the narrator, in the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” written by James Hurst, is currently causing him to reflect on his past actions towards Doodle. As the narrator recalls how his pride was more important than his relationship with Doodle, the reader will realize the theme of this short story, do not let pride cloud your judgment. Hurst illustrates the theme through the usage of internal conflict, man vs man conflict, and

    Read More

  • Thesis For The Scarlet Ibis

    632 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many details in the narrative that help support this theme. (Topic Sentence) First, brother notices that Doodle is different, in the beginning everyone thought that doodle was going to die but

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Ibis Character Analysis

    824 Words  | 2 Pages

    Humans are never perfect, and their emotions often conflict with their logic. In “The Scarlet Ibis”, the narrator receives a physically disabled brother, Doodle, thus trains Doodle physically so that he could live a normal life. Throughout the story, the narrator’s actions and thoughts reveals his true personalities to the audience as he slowly narrates the story of himself and his scarlet ibis, Doodle, whose existence he dreaded. In the story written by James Hurst, pride, love, and cruelty, these conflicting character traits all exists in Doodle’s brother. And the most severe of all, pride.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Ibis: A Seed Of Cruelty

    601 Words  | 2 Pages

    “...a knot of cruelty borne by the stream of love, much as our blood sometimes bears the seed of our destruction.”(346) Some people would say pride is a seed of destruction or at least a destructive force. In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” the narrator, Brother, had a seed of pride. It all started when his brother was born premature. It says, “ He seemed all head, with a tiny body which was red and shriveled like an old man's.”(345) The family was completely heartbroken because they thought that he wasn’t going to be “all there”. Soon the narrator’s baby brother, Doodle, shown he was “all there” in the head anyways. Because of that seed of destruction, the narrator is responsible for Doodle’s death.

    Read More

  • The Scarlet Ibis Doogle Character Analysis

    352 Words  | 1 Pages

    In “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, Doodle is an intelligent character. William “Doodle” Armstrong is a character who everybody thought was going to die. However, when Doodle lives on to see another day, he learns of the incredible world that his mind, but not necessarily his body, would be able to experience. Doodle’s first signs of intelligence is shown when the narrator describes his responsiveness. Doodle was able to respond to his name, and when he began to talk, he “talked so much that [they] all quit listening to what he said” (556). This description of Doodle’s earlier life shows his above-average intelligence because it emphasizes the extraordinary mental actions that Doodle was capable of, as opposed to what his physical well-being

    Read More

  • Doodle And The Narrator In The Scarlet Ibis By James Hurst

    436 Words  | 1 Pages

    In conclusion Doodle was not normal, he was weak but he was strong minded and tried to stay positive most of the time. His brother is helping him try to be normal by teaching him how to walk and crawl. Doodle cannot do most of the time normal people do he cannot run or have adventures. He is scared to be alone and doesn’t want his brother to leave his

    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

  • My Papa's Waltz And The Ballad Of Birmingham Family Bonds

    1365 Words  | 3 Pages

    Family bonds are very important which can determine the ability for a family to get along. They can be between a mother and son, a father and son, or even a whole entire family itself. To some people anything can happen between them and their family relationship and they will get over it, but to others they may hold resentment. Throughout the poems Those Winter Sundays, My Papa’s Waltz, and The Ballad of Birmingham family bonds are tested greatly. In Those Winter Sundays the relationship being shown is between the father and son, with the way the son treats his father. My Papa’s Waltz shows the relationship between a father and son as well, but the son is being beaten by his father. In The Ballad of Birmingham the relationship shown is between

    Read More

  • Character Analysis of Mrs. Mallard in The Story of an Hour

    1047 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the short story, “The Story of an Hour,” author Kate Chopin presents the character of Mrs. Louis Mallard. She is an unhappy woman trapped in her discontented marriage. Unable to assert herself or extricate herself from the relationship, she endures it. The news of the presumed death of her husband comes as a great relief to her, and for a brief moment she experiences the joys of a liberated life from the repressed relationship with her husband. The relief, however, is short lived. The shock of seeing him alive is too much for her bear and she dies. The meaning of life and death take on opposite meaning for Mrs. Mallard in her marriage because she lacked the courage to stand up for herself.

    Read More

  • Themes In The Scarlet Ibis

    728 Words  | 2 Pages

    “But a man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed, but not defeated” (Ernest Hemingway). The Scarlet Ibis is about a boy who wants to teach his disabled brother, Doodle, to do normal things, but the boy does not know when enough is enough. Brother pushed Doodle so hard, it eventually led to his death. Brother and Doodle did not accept defeat, but only Doodle was destroyed. In the story, The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst, the theme ego cannot accept defeat is revealed through symbolism and rising action.

    Read More

  • Scarlet Ibis Theme Essay

    327 Words  | 1 Pages

    Doodle was very kind, he was never mad or rude, he was just happy. He would often keep his brother's secrets no matter how cruel he was. Doodles brother forced him to touch his own coffin. He told Doodle "IF you do not touch it I'm going to leave you alone until you do." Doodles brother was a bully to Doodle, he makes fun of Doodle. Not by saying ha you cant walk but he shows a picture of doodle

    Read More

  • Powder by Tobias Wolff

    814 Words  | 2 Pages

    Nonetheless, this really is a tale of compelling love between the boy and his father. The actions of the boy throughout the story indicate that he really does love his father and seems very torn between his mother expectations and his father’s light heartedness. Many adults and children know this family circumstance so well that one can easily see the characters’ identities without the author even giving the boy and his father a name. Even without other surrounding verification of their lives, the plot, characters, and narrative have meshed together quite well.

    Read More

  • Emotions versus Emotion

    771 Words  | 2 Pages

    The idea that pride is both horrible and wonderful is similar to how the symbols in "The Scarlet Ibis" cause opposing emotions at the same time. The Scarlet Ibis, written by James Hurst, is an intriguing piece of realistic fiction that shows how symbols can have double meanings while telling about the relationship between a boy named Doodle and his family. In this story Doodle is born in a caul and everyone expects him to die. To his family's surprise, Doodle lives but is physically handicapped and cannot do the things a normal child can. His parents want to protect Doodle from harm and decide to put Brother in charge of him. The prideful brother decides to teach Doodle how to do normal things, but ends up pushing Doodle too hard and Doodle dies. As Brother teaches Doodle, Hurst uses several symbols such as Doodle's coffin, Doodle's wagon, and paris green to show the relationships in Doodle's family, and to cause multiple emotions in the readers and characters.

    Read More

More about Scarlet Ibis Compare And Contrast Essay

Open Document