Scarlet Ibis Theme Essay

"I did not know then that pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death," the author implies. In the short story, "The Scarlet Ibis" the author, James Hurst demonstrates, through life several mistakes and decision, create a thankful or regretful feeling. The author uses symbolism, characterization and flashback to develop the theme.
Symbolism is used by the narrator to develop the theme. The mahogany coffin contains a symbol used to represent the theme of life and death. The narrator states, " One day I took him up to the barns loft and showed him his casket, telling him how we all had believed he would die." The coffin represents death, as the narrator points out. Doodle and his disabilities are symbolic to the
coffin and death. No one believed Doodle would live when he was only a baby, so his father had built a coffin. The scarlet ibis is another symbol used throughout the story to point out the narrator's pride, of being wonderful and terrible. "The bird began to flutter, but the wings were uncoordinated, and amid much flapping and a spray of flying feathers, it tumbled down, bumping through the limbs of the bleeding tree, and its long, graceful neck jerked twice into an S, then straightened out and the bird was still, that even death did not mar its grace and exotic beauty." The birds crash and death is shown through this quote. The bird symbolizes Doodle through its similarities and suffering. The author also uses hope as a symbol. Hope is another symbol used to demonstrate the pride of narrator and its wonderful outcome. The "Hope no longer hid in the dark palmetto thicket but perceived like a cardinal with the lacy toothbrush tree, brilliantly visible." The narrator and Doodle show commitment through this quote, even though the narrator has pride. Commitment shows the reigning of wonderful things, except for the narrator's pride. An emotion, someone or something is used by the author to symbolism and create the theme.
Another literary element used by James Hurst, throughout the short story to develop the theme is characterization. In 'The Scarlet Ibis' the narrator has a disabled brother, named Doodle. The narrator creates a spot in his heart to help his brother Doodle walk, even though the narrator has a terrible side of pride and is ashamed of having a crippled brother. "Once I had succeeded in teaching doodle to walk, I began to believe in my own infallibility and I prepared a terrific development program for him, he, to now believed in my infallibility." Through this quote the narrator commits to help develop his brother, doodle. The narrator is starting to develop and change from the terrible pride side to the wonderful side. Characterization, sets the theme, by the mercy Doodle and the narrator each had. According to 'The Scarlet Ibis', "We never spoke (what are the words of that can solder cracked pride?), but I knew he was watching me, watching for a sign of mercy." The narrator tries to help his brother become more normal, but doodle knows his older brother is ashamed of him, and is prideful. The narrator knows, Doodle can see the sign of mercy, but won't say anything about it. Characterization shows the differences and changes, Doodle and narrator encounter throughout the entire story. Characterization is a literary element used throughout "The Scarlet Ibis" to establish the theme.
Jame Hurst also uses flashback to refer back to the theme.
A major literary element used by the author to create the theme is flashback, because the short story consists of countless flashbacks. Throughout 'The Scarlet Ibis' the author uses flashback to refer back to his past. The narrator lives with regret and guilt of the decisions he's building. An example of a flashback given by the narrator is, "It's strange that all this is still so clear to me, now that that summer has long since fled and time has had its way." This quote shows how the author refers back and still remembers but also regrets his pride and actions of how he treated his brother, Doodle. It reminds the narrator how time passed and seems weird to even remember it. "Pride is a wonderful, but terrible thing," the narrator notices through the "Scarlet Ibis'. "But sometimes (like right now), as I sit in the cool, green-draped parlor, the grindstone begins to turn, and time with all its changes is ground away and I remember Doodle." The author refers about his past and remembers it. The narrator his lesson and reminiscences his past,and reveals pride has two vines one of life and the other of death. James Hurst applies his theme greatly though
flashback.
"The Scarlet Ibis" is a short story by James Hurst. Decisions, feelings, and the past are shown by the author to create the theme. James Hurst uses symbolism, characterization and flashback to create the theme: "Pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life and death."