scarlet ibis theme essay

The Scarlet Ibis

James hurst, ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

Expectations and Disappointment

The primary conflict of “The Scarlet Ibis” surrounds Doodle ’s disability and how he works to overcome it with the help of Brother . The way in which Hurst presents Doodle’s journey, however, demonstrates that Doodle’s biggest challenges often arise not from his actual disability, but instead from the judgment and pressure he experiences from different people in his life. Brother admits that when Doodle was born, he saw him as a “disappointment” because he…

Brother takes pride in Doodle ’s achievements, and this sense of pride becomes a major motivation for his actions throughout “The Scarlet Ibis.” He gradually acknowledges that he only helps his brother out of a sense of pride, and that this pride leads him to behave selfishly. Other characters, such as Doodle’s parents , also find pride in Doodle’s accomplishments and hard work, spurring Doodle to work harder and harder to please his family. Hurst’s…

Hurst refers to death explicitly and implicitly throughout “The Scarlet Ibis,” using foreshadowing, the symbolism of the ibis itself, and allusions to the Biblical story of Cain and Abel. These devices give the story an allegorical dimension, demonstrating that often the most innocent people die not because they deserve to die, but because of the carelessness and wrongdoing of others. The story contains several examples of foreshadowing of Doodle’s untimely death. For instance, when Doodle…

Humans and Nature

“The Scarlet Ibis” is filled with many rich descriptions of the natural world. It quickly establishes the rural North Carolina farmland in which the story takes place and draws some of its most important symbols from nature. Beyond providing a detailed vision of the story’s setting, however, Hurst uses descriptions of nature and the seasons to mirror the boys’ states of mind as well as the dynamic between them, and to suggest that, like nature…

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.

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The Scarlet Ibis

28 pages • 56 minutes read

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Coming of Age: Pride and Social Acceptance

World War I occurred between July 1914 and November 1918. The narrator was 13 when the war ended, and the national climate surrounding the war indirectly informed his formative years and his actions during that time. The story intertwines the narrator’s feelings of fear, pride, shame, and guilt to parallel the social atmosphere of his rural North Carolina community. By 1918, North Carolinians had served in all major battles at the Western Front, resulting in thousands of injured and killed soldiers. Although the narrator does not fully understand that the “strange names” his family discusses are battle locations, his mother’s prayers for a slain neighborhood boy situate the war within reach of the Armstrong family. The social expectations of the period shape the narrator’s reactions to his and Doodle’s “failures.”

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The Scarlet Ibis

by James Hurst

The scarlet ibis summary and analysis of part 1.

  Summary

The story begins in between summer and autumn, with a scarlet ibis landing in a "bleeding tree," which is a tree that oozes sap. Surrounding the tree is a garden with rotting brown magnolias and overgrown weeds, the nearby oriole (a type of bird) nest is empty, and the smell of blooming "graveyard flowers" drifts into the narrator’s house, "speaking softly the names of our dead."        

The narrator remarks upon how strange it is that this is all so clear to him, even though summer is long gone. A grindstone, used to sharpen tools, now takes the place of the bleeding tree outside. The flower garden is tamed, the house painted a gleaming white, and the fence across the yard clean and organized. Even though things are different now, the narrator says he can sit in the house's parlor and the grindstone turns, taking the narrator back to the past and allowing him to remember his brother, Doodle .          

Doodle is "the craziest brother a boy ever had," though he is not as crazy as Miss Leedie , who is allegedly in love with President Wilson and writes him a letter every day. Doodle is a nicer kind of crazy, and, according to the narrator, is like someone you would meet in a dream. Doodle was born when the narrator was six, and was a disappointment from the outset. He had a big head and a tiny, shriveled body. Everyone thought he was going to die except for Aunt Nicey , who delivered him; she says that because he was born in a caul (a membrane that sometimes surrounds a baby's head at birth) he is going to live, because it makes him sacred. They even have a coffin built for Doodle. But Doodle doesn't die, and at last when he is three months old their parents choose the name William Armstrong for him, which the narrator does not approve of. He thinks it's too big a name for him, and it's a name that sounds good only on a tombstone.        

The narrator thinks he is good at a lot of things, like running, jumping, and climbing, and he's been hoping for a brother to do these things with. But his mother tearfully informs him that even if Doodle lives, he will never be able to do those things. He might not even be "all there," meaning he might have mental problems that will allow him to do nothing but lie in his bed for as long as he lives.    

The narrator cannot stand the idea of having a brother who is not "all there" on top of being incapacitated, so he begins to make plans to kill Doodle by smothering him with a pillow. One afternoon, though, while the narrator watches him through the bars at the foot of his bed, Doodle looks straight at him and grins. That's when the narrator realizes Doodle  is  all there, and he skips through the house telling everyone so.  

This short first section of the story gets readers acquainted with the setting and characters that we will be dealing with. Although the author has not yet provided an exact year in which this is taking place, the reference to President Wilson gives readers a clue that this is occurring in the early 20th century, around the time of World War I.     

A specific location is not provided, either, but this is less important that the description of the scene. Take note of the fact that the first thing mentioned in the story is the scarlet ibis in the bleeding tree; this is a reference back to the title, so we know that it's going to be significant. Following this, the first paragraph of the story adds many layers to the setting. It tells readers that this is a place that experiences seasons, as the narrator notes that they are in between summer and fall. It paints the picture of a house surrounded by flowers and wild, overgrown weeds. This setting is juxtaposed with the  current  appearance of this place, at the time when the narrator is actually telling the story; apparently now the garden is tamed and trimmed nicely, but it was not this way back then.      

Right away readers learn that this story is being told in the present about something that happened in the past. The change in setting from past to present suggests  other  changes have happened from past to present as well, and the story will go on to explain exactly what. This is a common device used in stories, and it is used when something about the narrator's life or his perspective has changed or evolved. With this knowledge in mind, it is important to be on the lookout for this sort of evolution in the story.    

This first section establishes that the two main characters in this story are going to be Doodle and the narrator, his older brother. The story will center on the development of their relationship. The narrator expresses his expectations for his little brother right away: he wants a brother who is active, playful, and "all there." It seems like Doodle will not fulfill those first two desires, but at the end of this section when Doodle does appear to be "all there," the narrator's excitement skyrockets. Right here, it becomes clear that the narrator has high hopes for his disabled little brother.    

Doodle has already shattered the expectations that others had for him, so he will no doubt continue to do so. He lived, when everyone except Aunt Nicey believed he was going to die. He is sane and aware, even though his mother believed he would not be "all there." Though Doodle is still an infant, he has already set a pattern to continue to live up to. Though at this point it has not been revealed how, he has even earned his own, new name, when most babies are simply given a name that their parents choose for them before their birth.    

There is one instance of foreshadowing here, which isn't noticeable until reading through the entire story but that stands out very strongly afterward. The narrator says Doodle's real name, William Armstrong, "sounds good only on a tombstone." This choice of comparison is so deliberate and so chillingly ironic, in light of what will happen as the story unfolds. Small hints like this remind readers that the narrator  knows  what is going to happen. He is not experiencing these events for the first time like readers are; he is recounting them in retrospect.  

The Scarlet Ibis Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for The Scarlet Ibis is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

The scarlet ibis

The author uses weather as a form of foreshadowing. Storms and natural occurrences, foreshadow from the very beginning what will happen at the end. The narrator and Doodle face a huge obstacle in the way of their goal when they experience a...

Which of the following quotes from the text best reflects how the author uses nature to enhance the dark tone of the story? Answer choices for the above question A. “The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted across the cotton fiel

I'm sorry, you need to place your answer choices in the "details" box. Please repost your question.

The surprise was Doodle walking across the room to the table on his birthday.

At breakfast on our chosen day, when Mama, Daddy, and Aunt Nicey were in the dining room, I brought Doodle to the door in the gocart just as usual and had them turn...

Study Guide for The Scarlet Ibis

The Scarlet Ibis study guide contains a biography of James Hurst, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About The Scarlet Ibis
• The Scarlet Ibis Summary
• Character List

Essays for The Scarlet Ibis

The Scarlet Ibis essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst.

• Brotherly Injury: The Scarlet Ibis
• Character Comparison Essay: "The Scarlet Ibis" and "Thank You Ma'am"

Wikipedia Entries for The Scarlet Ibis

• Introduction
• James Hurst

The Scarlet Ibis Essay

The Scarlet Ibis is a short story written by James Hurst. The story is about a boy named Doodle who is born with a heart condition. His brother, an unnamed narrator, tries to help him survive and grow up.

The saying goes, “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone”. The narrator’s feelings in “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst alters after his younger brother Doodle passes away. The speaker, who we only ever refer to as Brother, never shows kindness towards Doodle during their childhood because of Doodle’s struggles with physical disabilities.

It is not until Doodle dies that Brother realizes how much he loved and needed his brother. The saying “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone” is significant to the story because it helps to illustrate the point that people do not always realize the true value of something until it is gone.

The Scarlet Ibis is a short story that was published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1960. The story tells the tale of two young brothers growing up in the early 1900s in the American South. The older brother, who is never given a name, is unkind to his younger brother Doodle because of Doodle’s physical disabilities. The brothers are very close in age, and they spend a lot of time together.

One summer, the older brother is determined to teach Doodle how to walk. The brother is patient with Doodle, and eventually Doodle is able to take a few steps on his own. The brother is thrilled with Doodle’s progress and the two of them spend more time together than ever before.

However, one day when they are out playing together, Doodle has a seizure and dies. The older brother is devastated by his death. It is only then that he realizes how much he loved and needed his younger brother.

The story ends with the older brother reflecting on his memories of Doodle. He remembers all of the good times they had together, and he regrets that he was not always kind to his brother.

The Scarlet Ibis is a touching story about the love between two brothers. It is a reminder that we should always cherish the people we love, because we never know when they might be gone.

The younger brother, scared that he might be mocked at school for having an disabled sibling, begins training and teaching Doodle physical activities in order to protect him. The emotions of the older brother change from childhood hatred to remorse as he remembers the circumstances that triggered his distaste.

The story concludes with Doodle’s funeral and the brother’s newfound guilt. The Scarlet Ibis is a short story written by James Hurst. Themes in The Scarlet Ibis include love, family, death, and regret.

The Scarlet Ibis is a very heartwarming story that teaches valuable life lessons. The main theme of the story is love. The brother in the story loves Doodle very much, even though he may not realize it at first. The brother is willing to do anything for Doodle, even if it means putting himself in danger. The second theme is family. The brother and Doodle are extremely close, despite the fact that they are not blood related.

They are more like friends than brothers. The third theme is death. The story ends with the death of Doodle, which causes the brother to feel great remorse and guilt. The fourth and final theme is regret. The brother regrets not spending more time with Doodle and not appreciating him while he was alive.

Brother begins to form a dislike for Doodle when he cannot meet the expectations that Brother has set. All Brother ever wanted was “[s]omeone to race to Horsehead Landing, someone to box with, and someone tot perch with in the top fork of the great pine behind the barn” (Hurst 30-34), but no matter how hard he tried, Doodle could never fulfill those wishes.

The first real sign of Brother not wanting Doodle around was when he left Doodle behind at the junkyard. The second sign was when he refused to let Doodle go with him and Red Sammy to the pond to fish. The third sign, which is also the climax of the story, is when Brother shouts “I hate you. I wish you were dead” (Hurst 41).

Doodle did everything he could to try and please his brother. He ran with Brother even though it made him tired. He tried to perch on top of a tree even though he was scared of heights. The final straw for Doodle was when he tried to fly like a Scarlet Ibis and ended up breaking his neck and dying.

When Brother clutches Doodle’s body, it’s evident that he is sorry. He hangs on to Doodle’s remains and tries to protect them from the rain and the rest of the world, as opposed to leaving him behind in the past. His feelings for Doodle have changed from childless loathing to remorse for his actions since Brother altered his behavior.

The most important change that is seen in Brother is his relationships with others. The first sign of this is when Doodle starts to walk. He teaches Doodle how to walk, despite not wanting anything to do with him. The second sign is when they go out into the fields and Doodle gets stung by a bee. brother runs to get the medicinal supplies, even though he had been planning on leaving Doodle behind. The final sign is when Doodle dies. Initially, Brother wanted nothing to do with Doodle, but by the end he was remorseful for his actions.”

The tone of guilt is also evident in the afterthought in the story after Brother finishes telling an event. For example, he reveals that he “taught Doodle how to walk for himself… and that Doodle walked only because [he] was ashamed of having a crippled brother” (182-184). Because he regrets treating Doodle the way he did, he laments about his past actions and paints an ashamed tone over the events.

The story also features a few short sentences which also emphasize the regretful tone. The words “I am sorry” are repeated six times throughout the story, always in connection to Doodle (193, 196, 198). The last time these words appear is just before the climax of the story. The phrase appears three times in succession, each time getting softer until they nearly become a whisper (198).

The narrator uses this soft language to contrast the loud way he used to speak to Doodle, emphasizing his guilt over how he used to treat him. The final example of language choice that reveals the theme of regret is James Hurst’s use of onomatopoeia. Onomatopoeia is defined as “the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named” (Merriam-Webster). The sound of rain is described as “pattering gently on the leaves and tapping softly on the window panes” (200).

The use of soft words like “gentle” and “softly” again emphasize the regretful tone of the story. The sound of rain has always been seen as soothing, and its presence in the story provides a moment of silence for Doodle and Brother to reflect on their actions. The sound of rain also calls back to an earlier event in the story.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — The Scarlet Ibis — A Theme Of The Importance Of Being Nice To Your Loved Ones In The Scarlet Ibis

A Theme of The Importance of Being Nice to Your Loved Ones in The Scarlet Ibis

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