Preview

Scarlet Ibis Expectation Vs Reality Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
391 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Scarlet Ibis Expectation Vs Reality Analysis
In the short story “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst the author illustrates the thematic tension of expectation versus reality ultimately favoring reality. In this story the narrator, Brother, and Doodle, his crippled-broken down-little brother, faces the dilemma of Doodle being disabled-- unable to walk, or do anything by himself-- and he finds himself in a mess of whether or not he wants to learn to become “normal.” From the beginning everybody, except Aunt Nicey, believes that Doodle is a goner. Daddy had even built Doodle a mahogany coffin, which would rest in the barn until the day came, that Doodle would die. But, Brother is determined to teach Doodle how to walk, and become a “normal” little brother. However, in the process all Brother

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The narrator is very selfish because he does not want to have a crippled brother. He did not want a cripple brother so he made Doodle learn how to walk. He is determined to get him to walk because he feels embarrassed to have a brother that is crippled. His method worked because Doodle could walk be he wanted to make him more normal with different methods. He also made Doodle try to start learning to swim. He…

    • 449 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Death can usually be illustrated by the color red, hints the “Scarlet Ibis”. The “Scarlet Ibis” is based off of the cruel theme of death. Doodle dies in this reading, but before the story portrays his death, the piece gives many hints and clues that he is going to pass away soon. Hurst does a great job in the “Scarlet Ibis” of showing strength, the strength of doodle. Though Doodle overcame a lot of barriers, his strength could hold up no more at the end. He was a clear of the theme of this writing, the harsh, coldblooded theme of death.…

    • 398 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In James Hurst's “The Scarlet Ibis”, a tragic tale is told about the Narrator’s younger, disabled brother who he teaches to walk. The whole story has a sad nostalgic shadow cast across it due to many symbols, motifs, and foreshadowing. Doodle, the young boy was born in a cual and wasn’t thought to survive he looked very strange when he was born, “ He seemed all head with a tiny body, which was red and shriveled like an old man’s” The mention of red is throughout the story leading up to the appearance of the ibis, as the story continues on we see more possibilities of how Doodle is going to meet his end. Red and death are brought up in contrast to happy memories of Doodle, almost representing the ibis before it arrives. The ibis appears out…

    • 397 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    [HS] Pride is often called a double edged sword and Love is often referred to as blind. These two powerful emotions that one possesses can either enrich life or destroy life. Pride doesn’t let you see or choose what is right or wrong and can destroy a good thing because you cannot see through it. Love too is blind and accepting and can keep you from seeing a person for who they are or their true intentions. Both lead down a path of destruction if either is not balanced within a person. Both are blind and destroyed without prejudice never allowing you choice when either is over abundant in a person. The author, James Hurst, demonstrates this in The Scarlet Ibis through physically handicapped, Doodle and his brother‘s relationship.…

    • 1273 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In “The Monkey’s Paw,” the theme of despair is explored through the author’s characterization of Mr. and Mrs. White after Herbert’s death. "I'm sorry----" began the visitor. "Is he hurt?" demanded the mother. The visitor bowed in assent. "Badly hurt," he said quietly, "but he is not in any pain. "Oh, thank God!" said the old woman, clasping her hands. "Thank God for that! Thank----" She broke off suddenly as the sinister meaning of the assurance dawned upon her and she saw the awful confirmation of her fears in the other's averted face. She caught her breath, and turning to her slower-witted husband, laid her…

    • 521 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Monkey Paw

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A suspenseful and horrific piece of literature, “The Monkey Paw” is written by W.W Jacobs. A quaint family of three receives an unusual monkey paw that is capable of making any three wishes come true. Despite the caveat of a curse attached to the paw, the family chooses to make a wish, evoking from the story a suspenseful attitude as the reader becomes wrapped up in finding out the Smiths’ fated ends. With the combination of W.W Jacobs’ settings, characters, and foreshadowing, the theme of the story, “that fate cannot be decided upon by man” is delivered pointedly and with style.…

    • 932 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    John C Calhoun's Success

    • 1708 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Life is not only stranger than fiction, but frequently also more tragic than any tragedy ever conceived by the most fervid imagination. Often in these tragedies of life there is not one drop of blood to make us shudder, nor a single event to compel the tears into the eye. A man endowed with an intellect far above the average, impelled by a high-soaring ambition, untainted by any petty or ignoble passion, and guided by a character of sterling firmness and more than common purity, yet, with fatal illusion, devoting all…

    • 1708 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Eckbert the Fair

    • 1645 Words
    • 7 Pages

    When choosing a certain path, one must understand that along with that decision, there come consequences. In Ludwig’s Tieck’s tale “Eckbert the Fair, ” it is clear that the characters are being punished for their personal actions. The supernatural forces in this fairy tale, simply laid out challenges for the characters to see if they would follow the right path. Like everyone else, Bertha and Eckbert had come across decisions in their life, where they were able to understand the difference between picking the right from wrong choice. By deciding to go against their self-conscious, and making the wrong choices, Bertha and Eckbert meet a tragic fate. This tale is haunted by supernatural and psychological forces, which greatly influence the choices these character make.…

    • 1645 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Kate Chopin was a novelist and American short story writer. In 1894, Chopin wrote a particularly intriguing short story, The Story of an Hour, about a woman who was trying to escape society’s judgemental image of women. In Chopin’s story, Louise Mallard, the protagonist, feels distressed and restricted because of the expectations society holds for women as subordinate to men. When the protagonist’s husband supposedly dies, Louise finally feels free to make life choices independently and not have to conform to how society wants her to be. Although Chopin’s description of freedom is the freedom for Louise to be independent and think individually, her idea of freedom from society's expectations and stereotypes connects to Douglass and his story. Freedom from society’s view on the privileges that people have and how they live their lives is one theme that unifies Chopin and Douglass’ thought-provoking stories and also is constant “living theme” in my…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Two Sides

    • 788 Words
    • 4 Pages

    If someone wants to get a point across to a wide audience they must appeal to people’s emotions, logic, or show them that they are credible. In the book The Other Wes Moore the author tries to show his readers that any decision made could change a life in a positive or negative way. Throughout his book, Wes Moore compares the lives of two boys with the same name, growing up at the same time, both in bad neighborhoods. He examines these young men and tries to show when and why their lives changed for better and worse. People cannot choose their living conditions or who their parents are, but Wes Moore shows how the decisions made today can change a person’s future for better or worse. For his audience, use of pathos is the best way for the author Wes Moore to inspire his readers to listen to his purpose of this story and make a change in their lives. To further support his book the author appeals to the audience’s ethos and logos but they are minor in comparison to his appeal to pathos.…

    • 788 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Scarlet Ibis

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages

    If you had a family member that had a physical disability, would you treat them the same with precautions or would you treat them differently? People may think life would be easier for a life as a disabled person but truly it is extremely hard. They have to deal with looks from people they don’t know, and from their family treating them differently. In The Scarlet Ibis, by James Hurst, Doodle, is a handicapped little boy. Everyone says that he will not be able to do most things that kids without disabilities can do but Doodle’s brother never gives up on trying.…

    • 954 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Scarlet Ibis

    • 5323 Words
    • 22 Pages

    been born, that the ibis lit in the bleeding tree.1 The flower garden was strained with rotting brown magnolia petals and ironweeds grew rank2 amid the purple phlox. The five o'clocks by the chimney still marked time, but the oriole nest in the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty cradle. The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted across the cotton field and through every room of our house, speaking softy the names of our dead. It's strange that all this is still so clear to me, now that summer has long since fled and time has had its way. A grindstone stands where the bleeding tree stood, just outside the kitchen door, and now if an oriole sings in the elm, its song seems to die up in the leaves, a silvery dust. The flower garden is prim, the house a gleaming white, and the pale fence across the yard stands straight and spruce. 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. Doodle was just about the craziest brother a boy every had. Of course, he wasn't crazy crazy like old Miss Leedie, who was in love with President Wilson and wrote him a letter every day, but was a nice crazy, like someone you meet in your dreams. He was born when I was six and was, from the outset, a disappointment. He seemed all head, with a tiny body which was red and shriveled like an old man's. Everybody thought he was going to die-everybody except Aunt Nicey, who had delivered him. She said he would live because he was born in a caul,3 and cauls were made from Jesus' nightgown. Daddy had Mr. Heath, the carpenter, build a little mahogany coffin for him. But he didn't die, and when he was three months old, Mama and Daddy…

    • 5323 Words
    • 22 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Throughout the duration of “Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst, the theme of the high cost of pride is displayed prominently. Because of Big Brother’s shame of Doodle and pride over himself, there is a heavy price to pay. In the beginning, the theme is presented, “ It was bad enough having an invalid brother, but having one who possibly was not all there was unbearable, so I began to make plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow” (Hurst 555). This dark quote is the beginning of a rocky relationship…

    • 616 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In W.W Jacob’s short story “The Monkey’s Paw,” there are many instances of foreshadowing in order to keep readers engaged and on the edge of their seats. In part one of “The Monkey’s Paw” the White family is introduced to the monkey’s paw by, family friend, Sergeant Major Morris. Major Morris explains the indelible outcome of using the paw. Mrs. White asks if anyone has used the paw before and Major Morris responds with “‘The first man used his wishes, yes,’”...”’I don't know what his first two wishes were, but the third was for death. That's how I got the paw.’” (Jacobs 34-35) This shows that if the family decides to use the paw, then then there may be dreadful consequences.…

    • 541 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    While enrolled as a student in the CRC, there was a performance being given in which the entire school was to attend, but as his friend and spokesman was absent that day, nobody thought to bring Joseph, so he had to sit alone in the classroom throughout the performance. Throughout the performance, Joseph is left with only his thoughts to keep him company, a skill in which he is masterful. Joseph’s isolation is grounded not in the notion that nobody interacts with him, as that is clearly not the case, but rather in the lack of control of his own body. Joseph has an unable body, but a mind that works as beautifully as any other human being with which he comes into contact. His very dependency on others’ and their willingness to provide him with normal childhood experiences and overlook his unable body is also what fuels his feeling of…

    • 1322 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays