Examples Of Figurative Language In The Scarlet Ibis

Doodle was terrified of being abandoned; Brother knew this.
“The Scarlet Ibis” is a short story about shame. Using the literary elements of figurative language, mood, and setting, James Hurst shows that you should not let shame change the way you feel towards a loved one. Mood is a literary element often used in a story to give meaning and descriptions. A type of mood that is used in “The Scarlet Ibis” is to show Brother’s feelings of Doodle. At one point in the story Brother tells his plans to murder Doodle by saying, “ … I began to make plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow”(416). The narrator is ashamed of having an invalid brother, so he wants to kill him. Having this detail in the story makes the reader feel surprised
The setting is often used to show the seasons and weather which can also portray the current type of events that are going to happen in that scene. In the very beginning of the story, the reader sees that, “It was in the clove of seasons, summer was dead, but autumn had not yet been born”(416). While the author does not tell us the current weather, it does explain that the seasons are between summer and autumn. Using the words dead and birth also gives a sense of renewal and caution to the coming events of the story. The narrator is very harsh with these words which lets the reader see that there is something wrong with the telling of the backstory. Figurative language is a common literary element in many stories, but is very crucial to them. Metaphors, similes, and other kinds of figurative language are used to give the readers insight that are effective and impactful. Similes are especially frequent in “The Scarlet Ibis.” An example is, “... the oriole nest in the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty cradle” (416). This brings to the front that sense of sorrow and melancholy once again. Along with this, the figurative language illustrates a perception of loss and regret from