The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst is a story about two brothers growing up in the time of World War I in the south of The United States. Doodle, the younger of the two brothers, has beaten the odds of survival ever since he was born and has grown to be content with his physical disabilities. Despite his desire to stay the same, his brother wants nothing more than to for him to be “normal.” But because of his selfish characteristics, “Brother” gets caught in his pride and goes too far in attempting to change what is already perfect. Throughout the story, James Hurst uses the color red to symbolize the intense feelings that draw from the pressures of wanting the best for our loved ones and the emotions that are dragged along with wanting to be normal.
The scarlet ibis in the story draws parallels to Doodle himself. The bird had been carried through a storm and endured a long journey to a bleeding tree outside Doodle’s window. It looked tired, sick, and unfazed by the presence of the people. “The bird began to flutter, but the wings were uncoordinated, and amid much flapping and spray of flying feathers, it tumbled down...landing at our feet with a thud” (200. Surprisingly, the only member of the watchful family to care for this bird was Doodle. Doodle was so affected by this moment in his life because he saw himself as the bird in a way that made him feel obligated to aid him. Doodle had endured a hard journey himself, by consistently proving his peers wrong by fighting through his physical disabilities and merely staying alive. In this way, the scarlet ibis and Doodle both share similar life experiences that are unveiled through Doodle’s reaction to the bird’s death.
The most obvious theme in the story, is how we often hurt the ones we love most. In The Scarlet Ibis, this is shown through the relationship between Doodle and his brother. As previously mentioned, Doodle’s brother was “ashamed of having a crippled brother” (196). This feeling in combination with his pride caused “Brother” to push his younger sibling way past his limits to the point of no return. “I purposely walked fast, and although he kept up, his face turned red and his eyes became glazed” (199). Brother wanted Doodle to change so badly for his own good that he was utterly blind to the fact that Doodle was completely content with how he was. Although this can be presented as a negative act, it is evident that Brother really only wanted the best for his brother. This is shown through his actions when Doodle eventually died and his brother shows his first true signs on vulnerability. Therefore in this example, red is presented in a more direct fashion of how we often act recklessly with the ones we care for the most.
The scarlet ibis in the story draws parallels to Doodle himself. The bird had been carried through a storm and endured a long journey to a bleeding tree outside Doodle’s window. It looked tired, sick, and unfazed by the presence of the people. “The bird began to flutter, but the wings were uncoordinated, and amid much flapping and spray of flying feathers, it tumbled down...landing at our feet with a thud” (200. Surprisingly, the only member of the watchful family to care for this bird was Doodle. Doodle was so affected by this moment in his life because he saw himself as the bird in a way that made him feel obligated to aid him. Doodle had endured a hard journey himself, by consistently proving his peers wrong by fighting through his physical disabilities and merely staying alive. In this way, the scarlet ibis and Doodle both share similar life experiences that are unveiled through Doodle’s reaction to the bird’s death.
The most obvious theme in the story, is how we often hurt the ones we love most. In The Scarlet Ibis, this is shown through the relationship between Doodle and his brother. As previously mentioned, Doodle’s brother was “ashamed of having a crippled brother” (196). This feeling in combination with his pride caused “Brother” to push his younger sibling way past his limits to the point of no return. “I purposely walked fast, and although he kept up, his face turned red and his eyes became glazed” (199). Brother wanted Doodle to change so badly for his own good that he was utterly blind to the fact that Doodle was completely content with how he was. Although this can be presented as a negative act, it is evident that Brother really only wanted the best for his brother. This is shown through his actions when Doodle eventually died and his brother shows his first true signs on vulnerability. Therefore in this example, red is presented in a more direct fashion of how we often act recklessly with the ones we care for the most.