The Scarlet Ibis Death Analysis

Will a brother take responsibility for the death of his younger brother, Doodle?

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.

The narrator kills Doodle by leaving him

alone in the rain. By leaving him in the rain, I think it finally pushes Doodle to his breaking point and with his health conditions it eventually takes his life. As the narrator leaves Doodle he begins to think, “As I wait, I peer through the downpour, but no one comes.” (page 426). This means that the narrator leaves Doodle and he never comes before this took place Doodle calls for his brother highlighting that his breaking point appears to be close and clearly the narrator did not care until Doodle dies. While Doodle is visits the doctor, “The doctor says that he must not get too excited, too hot, too cold, or too tired and that people should treat him gently.” (page 417). The narrator ignores these instructions especially by leaving Doodle in the rain, which makes Doodle become too tiresome, too hot, or maybe too cold. As Doodle gets left in the rain it affects his health.
Doodle’s death occurs when his brother teaches him to do things that affects his health. The doctor had specific rules for Doodle, but his brother ignores every rule which becomes bad for Doodle in the end. When the narrator starts teaching Doodle to walk he states, “Doodle stands alone by himself for a few seconds.” (page 419). Before the narrator teaches Doodle to walk he would have been doing things that did not affect his health and he probably would live longer. As Doodle's brother leaves him in the rain he thinks, “I inch further away with his toes going further and further from my heel with each second running faster as the storm pounds harder.” (page 425). In this scene, the narrator thought Doodle would follow him just fine, but it appears as if Doodle came to his breaking point and could go on no longer. When Doodle’s brother taught him to do things that affects his health he also struck a sense of curiosity to try new things.
The narrator kills Doodle by creating a sense of curiosity.

When the narrator creates a sense of curiosity within Doodle it causes him to not follow the rules that the doctor gives him in the beginning of the short story which leads to his death as well. When young Doodle still could not walk the narrator states, “I dragged him across the burning cotton field to share with him the only beauty I knew, Old Woman Swamp," when they arrive Doodle cries, “‘It’s so pretty,’ he says. ‘So pretty, pretty, pretty.’" (Page 417-418). This struck Doodle’s curiosity and makes him curious to know more beauty from Old Woman Swamp. When Doodle's older brother teaches him him to walk, “We never spoke (what are the words that can solder cracked pride), but I knew he was watching me, watching for a sign of mercy.” (page 425). In this scene, the narrator reveals that he does not care if Doodle struggles or not which supports Doodle’s curiosity to whether or not his brother cares about him. When Doodle’s brother creates a sense of curiosity it leads him to do things that affects his health, like being left in the rain, which eventually leads to his own death.

In conclusion, in the short story, “The Scarlet Ibis” written by James Hurst, due to Doodle’s brother leaving him in the rain, teaching him things that affects his health, and creating a sense of curiosity within Doodle leads to his death. In my opinion, Doodle’s older brother should take the blame for most things that happen to Doodle,

including his death. In your opinion, should the narrator take credit for his little brother's death, yes or no?