essay about the scarlet ibis

“The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst Essay

Introduction, younger brother’s optimism, elder brother’s pride, outcomes of different behaviors.

The story “The Scarlet Ibis” which was written by James Hurst in 1960 is a vivid example of a work filled with symbolism as a literary technique. In particular, this method is used to describe the characters of the story and their and relationships. As objects of evaluation, two brothers will be considered, the narrator on whose behalf the story is presented, and his younger brother William, who is called Doodle.

The interaction between the two boys is complex due to Doodle’s disabilities. Nevertheless, despite his vulnerability and congenital defects of health, the younger brother shows the strength of the mind and perseverance that are inherent in an adult. He does not despair and is ready to follow the narrator, who, despite his love for his brother, is quick-tempered and impatient.

These differences will be examined, and the relationships between the two characters will be analyzed in the context of distinctive assessments of success. The disabilities of the younger brother do not prevent him from admiring the world, while the elder brother is inclined to show more pride, and these differences form the basis of the story.

Being born with physical defects and poor coordination, Doodle was distinguished by a thirst for life and interest in the world around him. The narrator mentions his walks with the younger brother and recalls how he admired the beauty of the grass on which he sat: “It’s so pretty,” he said. “So pretty, pretty, pretty” (Hurst, p. 49). Another example is the boy’s willingness to learn to walk. Although the younger brother had such severe physical disabilities that even his parents were ready for his death, he did not want to put up with the fate of a disabled person.

Doodle agrees to the storyteller’s suggestion to learn to walk, despite physicians’ disappointing predictions, and as the storyteller notes, the younger brother was successful and “was ready to show what he could do” (Hurst, p. 50). Such a desire to prove his strength characterizes the boy as a person who does not want to accept his disability status. As a result, the boy achieves results and surprises not only the brother but also his parents, who are surprised and delighted by the stubbornness of their son and the outcomes of his training.

Another example of the boy’s thirst for life is his attitude to a wounded bird. The scarlet ibis that appeared at their site excited the child and forced him to run out of the house in dismay. The narrator describes the situation as follows: “Doodle’s hands were clasped at his throat, and I had never seen him stand still so long” (Hurst, p. 51). The boy is very impressed with what he sees and aims to provide all possible assistance to the wounded bird. He does not want to accept its death, but after he understands what happened, he intends to bury the bird on his own. Such respect for a living creature is no coincidence and is a deliberate author’s technique.

Hurst draws an analogy between the bird and Doodle, and the title of the story confirms this since the behavior of the child is much like the action of the wounded ibis. For example, the narrator mentions the boy’s “awkwardness at digging the hole” (p. 52). Thus, Doodle’s optimism is reflected in his actions and the purity of the character’s thoughts, while his healthy brother has a sharper temper.

The ambiguity of the elder brother’s relationship with the younger one lies in several aspects, and pride is one of the key behavioral factors that distinguish him from Doodle. The narrator himself argues this when he recalls the stubborn exercises of his brother: “I knew he was watching me, watching for a sign of mercy” (Hurst, p. 52). Although the elder child is physically healthy, he is sometimes ashamed of his disabled brother, which is natural for his age. At the same time, he cannot be called a cruel child. He shows condescension to Doodle’s attempts, but he does not have the same optimism and thirst for life. Perhaps, since he does not need to go through all the hardships of his younger brother daily, he cannot understand how much effort the disabled boy has to deal with to achieve success. Sometimes, the elder brother is annoyed, although he regrets it afterward. Therefore, his behavior is harsher, and pride is one of the proofs.

The love of the elder brother to the younger one is not obvious, but it is manifested in detail, although the nature of the narrator does not allow him to support the disabled child with tenderness. Even after the narrator decides to teach Doodle to walk, he confirms that he is not ready to accept any failure and is unhappy with how slowly their workouts are progressing. After the younger brother ceases to show significant results, the elder brother states the following: “I should have already admitted defeat, but my pride wouldn’t let me” (Hurst, p. 50). Therefore, despite his support, the narrator cannot show Doodle his full love, and a sharp character is one of the reasons for this behavior.

The ending of the story shows how the nature of the elder brother influenced the life of the other boy. After he runs away from Doodle in displeasure that the latter does not demonstrate good training outcomes, the disabled boy dies, leaving the narrator in confusion and despair. The elder brother’s pride was one of the reasons why he paid little attention to Doodle and did not wait for him. As a result, the story ends with the following words: “I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of rain” (Hurst, p. 53). The comparison with the previously dead bird is intentional since both the external image and the inner desire of the younger brother to live are reflected in the story. The elder brother is more introverted and sometimes too tough, while the younger one is open to the knowledge of the world and different from his peers. Therefore, the story ends with an obvious comparison and shows how the different characters of the boys led to the finale.

The distinctive natures of the two brothers are the key indicators of their behaviors and perception of the world, and comparing Doodle with the scarlet ibis is the author’s intentional method. The narrator tends to be proud, and despite his love for his brother, he is sometimes irritable. Doodle, conversely, demonstrates a desire to live and get to know the world and does everything possible to please his loved ones. Therefore, both characters differ significantly, and the ending of the story puts everything in its place.

Hurst, James. “The Scarlet Ibis.” Atlantic Monthly , 1960, pp. 48-53.

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Literary Theory and Criticism

Home › Literature › Analysis of James Hurst’s The Scarlet Ibis

Analysis of James Hurst’s The Scarlet Ibis

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on June 12, 2021

The only work of James Hurst’s to gain widespread recognition, The Scarlet Ibis was originally published in the Atlantic Monthly in July 1960 and won the Atlantic First award that year. Rising quickly to the status of a classic, this story has been a standard feature of high school and college anthologies for more than 40 years. In 1988, and then again in 1998, the story was published in book format (only 36 pages) with illustrations by Philippe Dumas. It continues to be popular with students and is the subject of numerous Internet study guides.

“The Scarlet Ibis” is the story of two siblings, the narrator—known only as Brother—and his disabled younger brother, nicknamed Doodle. Told in retrospect by the now-adult Brother, the story seems to be at least partially confessional, describing the narrator’s childhood conflicts between love for his brother and his own pride, as well as the tragic consequences of discriminatory familial and societal expectations. Toward the end of the story, an exotic scarlet ibis appears and, as does Doodle himself, dies.

“The Scarlet Ibis” has received little or no serious critical analysis, but in those reviews that do exist various possible subthemes have been suggested, including the biblical story of Cain and Abel, Doodle as a divine or even Christ-like figure, and the specter of World War I with its loss of life and all the philosophical questions that it raised. It is clearly, however, the use of nature that guides the narrative and its metaphors. Hurst himself has said that there are three “characters” in the story: Doodle, Brother, and the setting. The story opens with Brother’s describing the Eden-like childhood that he shared with Doodle and comparing it with the sterility of his adult world. Over the course of the story, told in flashback, Brother is shown to have a country child’s awareness of and delight in nature; in fact, part of his disappointment at Doodle’s disability is that he had “wanted someone to perch with in the top fork of the great pine behind the barn, where across the fields and the swamp you could see the sea” (10). Doodle cries the first time Brother shows him the beauty of Old Woman Swamp (perhaps a pseudonym for Gaia?), the only place where the two brothers are really in harmony, where they make plans to live forever, and where societal expectations do not interfere. Even the narrative itself turns along with the cyclical movement of the seasons, Brother’s successes and failures with Doodle measured by nature’s changes.

When the scarlet ibis appears, both the psychological and the physical similarities to Doodle are made clear: It is alone—despite being a colonial nester— and has clearly strayed, or been blown, far from its natural environment (“Ibises”); it is a brilliant red, as Doodle was at birth, and has an awkward, ungainly body that takes on grace only in death. Doodle is the only one of the family moved enough by the bird’s demise to care about burying it, and when Doodle himself dies the following day, his body in death is described much as the bird’s, and Brother calls him “my fallen scarlet ibis” (36).

BIBLIOGRAPHY Hurst, James. The Scarlet Ibis. Hadley, Mass.: Creative Education, 1988. “The Scarlet Ibis.” Short Stories for Students. Detroit: Gale, 2006.

Symbolism in The Scarlet Ibis

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Published: Jun 14, 2024

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The vibrant color of the scarlet ibis, the fragility of the scarlet ibis, the demise of the scarlet ibis, bibliography.

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