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

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,