Theme Examination of “The Scarlet Ibis”
Theme Examination of “The Scarlet Ibis” “4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”
-Psalm 24: 4-5 More simply stated, this Bible excerpt means one with pure thoughts and clean hands receives a great outcome, while one who is sworn unto vanity and deceit falls victim to hurt. This perfectly fits Brother’s inner conflict, and ultimately, the theme in “The Scarlet Ibis”. This short story, by James Hurst, is a touching short story recounting the memories of the narrator’s youth. Brother is a young boy growing up with his Mama, Daddy, and disabled brother Doodle. Doodle is born very weak, and comes with “a long list of don’ts”.(596) The doctor says that Doodle will never be able to walk, run, or play like the other little boys and girls. Through this inspiring journey, Brother teaches Doodle how to walk, and how to overcome whatever the world throws at him. Even though Brother shows perseverance throughout the story, but the reason behind it is egocentric and prideful. Perseverance through selfish pride is not true perseverance.
While Doodle is being forced by Brother to visit what is meant to be his coffin, he is put in an uncomfortable position. He must either touch his coffin, or be left alone by himself in the eerie old barn. Doodle begins to cry, “’Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.’”(597) This experience leads Brother to realize his feelings and intentions for his brother. “When Doodle was five years old, I was embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldn't walk, so I set out to teach him… ‘I’m going to teach you to walk, Doodle,’ I said”(597) Although the idea of teaching Doodle to walk is kind and loving, Brother’s idea behind it is cruel and shameful. There is only one reason behind Brother’s perseverance in teaching Doodle how to walk. He does not
-Psalm 24: 4-5 More simply stated, this Bible excerpt means one with pure thoughts and clean hands receives a great outcome, while one who is sworn unto vanity and deceit falls victim to hurt. This perfectly fits Brother’s inner conflict, and ultimately, the theme in “The Scarlet Ibis”. This short story, by James Hurst, is a touching short story recounting the memories of the narrator’s youth. Brother is a young boy growing up with his Mama, Daddy, and disabled brother Doodle. Doodle is born very weak, and comes with “a long list of don’ts”.(596) The doctor says that Doodle will never be able to walk, run, or play like the other little boys and girls. Through this inspiring journey, Brother teaches Doodle how to walk, and how to overcome whatever the world throws at him. Even though Brother shows perseverance throughout the story, but the reason behind it is egocentric and prideful. Perseverance through selfish pride is not true perseverance.
While Doodle is being forced by Brother to visit what is meant to be his coffin, he is put in an uncomfortable position. He must either touch his coffin, or be left alone by himself in the eerie old barn. Doodle begins to cry, “’Don’t leave me. Don’t leave me.’”(597) This experience leads Brother to realize his feelings and intentions for his brother. “When Doodle was five years old, I was embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldn't walk, so I set out to teach him… ‘I’m going to teach you to walk, Doodle,’ I said”(597) Although the idea of teaching Doodle to walk is kind and loving, Brother’s idea behind it is cruel and shameful. There is only one reason behind Brother’s perseverance in teaching Doodle how to walk. He does not