The Scarlet Ibis

The Scarlet Ibis


In "The Scarlet Ibis", James Hurst uses a scarlet ibis as a symbol to describe the theme of the lack of delicateness between two brothers, one being disabled. A symbol is a something visible that, by association or convention, represents something that is invisible. An example of a symbol you may recognize is the eagle for America or the apple for New York.

The story is narrated by the older brother of a disabled boy named "Doodle", who can't walk. Doodle was described as having a "tiny body that was red and shriveled like an old man's"and was expected to die. Despite his brother's attempts to teach him how to walk, his efforts didn't result in much progress. One day, a scarlet ibis landed in the family's "bleeding tree" and suddenly passed. Doodle buried it. Shortly afterward, Doodle and his brother went for an evening swim at the nearby lake when they got caught in a thunderstorm. Whilst running home, older brother ran ahead of Doodle without assisting him out of spite. Doodle was struck by a tree branch and was found dead by his brother. A scarlet ibis is a bright red bird with a large curved bill used to scavenge for food. They're born red and maintain their color through their diet. The ibis' physical characteristics and required living conditions correlate to Doodle's symbolically. Doodle and the scarlet ibis are red, Doodle from his condition and the ibis' from its diet, both things having to do with their life dependency. A scarlet ibis requires a specific enviorment, typically tropical, to support their living conditions as well as diet. Doodle's condition restricts him from being able to walk, which his brother didn't accept. This disability also took an emotional toll on Doodle, which his older brother didn't cater to either. In the story, the ibis died outside of his natural habitat, in the family's "bleeding tree". This is symbolism to Doodle's death as well, alone and covered in blood against a tree in a failed attempt to run, something he shouldn't have been doing in the first place.


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