Another great way to engage your students, is through the creation of storyboards that examine Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, and Theme. This activity is referred to with the acronym “TWIST”. In a TWIST, students focus on a particular paragraph or few pages, to look deeper at the author’s meaning.
Using the first paragraph of “The Scarlet Ibis”, students can depict, explain, and foreshadow what will happen in the story, while getting a good idea of the author's voice.
It was in the clove of seasons; summer was dead, but autumn had not yet been born, that the ibis lit in the bleeding tree. The flower garden was strained with rotting brown magnolia petals and ironweeds grew rank 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 softly the names of our dead.
| T | TONE | Grief: Memories of those who have died, perhaps a child. |
|---|---|---|
| W | WORD CHOICE |
dead, not born, bleeding, stained, rotting, brown, ironweeds, rank, untenanted, empty cradle, graveyard, drifted, dead |
| I | IMAGERY |
“…the oriole nest in the elm was untenanted and rocked back and forth like an empty cradle.” This image of an empty nest, suggests a missing child. |
| S | STYLE |
The author uses foreshadowing in the following lines: “summer was dead, but autumn was not yet born”; “…last graveyard flowers were blooming”; “speaking softly the names of our dead”. |
| T | THEME |
The narrator speaks in a past tense, using words and imagery that sound like the theme could be the passing or memory of a loved one. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Perform a TWIST analysis of a selection from "The Scarlet Ibis". Remember that TWIST stands for Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, Theme.
Teachers can provide students with interesting texts to analyze the tone used by the author in the text. Encourage the students to read every word and line thoroughly multiple times so they can point out the smallest of the details.
Look for words and phrases that indicate tone. For instance, adjectives like "joyful," "celebratory," or "optimistic" often denote a good tone, whereas terms like "disappointing," "angry," or "tragic" denote a negative tone. Sometimes, authors can also use neutral language and leave it up to the interpretation of the readers.
Students can learn a lot about the tone of a sentence by looking at its structure and punctuation. Long, complicated phrases might suggest a more analytical or introspective tone, whereas short, simple words frequently express a direct and authoritative tone.
Even if the text is small, sometimes the tone can shift. Ask the students to carefully analyze if the tone is shifting as the story progresses or if it remains consistent. If the tone is shifting encourage the students to make educated guesses and identify the reason behind the shift.
Ask the students to look into other writings by the same author and make comparisons. Teachers can ask a few questions like what is the writing style of the author? Does the author use similar tones in different stories? If yes then why, etc.
"The Scarlet Ibis" has a tone that combines introspection, remorse, and nostalgia. Brother tells the tale with the benefit of hindsight, reflecting with regret and shame on what happened. The narrative gains depth from this introspective tone, which also aids in highlighting the story's themes. Overall, students can reflect on the use of negative and specific phrases to get a deeper understanding of the tone and feelings of the “author” in the story.
The novel makes frequent use of the scarlet ibis as a symbol. It stands for the brittleness of existence and the beauty of an unforgiving environment. Doodle is a representation of both fragility and individuality. Doodle is compelled to touch the casket, which stands for death and portends the sad ending. Initially, Doodle’s brother fails to understand this but as time passes and he reflects on his actions and Doodle’s condition, he recognizes this detail.