The Scarlet Ibis Symbolism & Themes
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The Scarlet Ibis by James Hurst
Lesson Plans by Rebecca Ray
“The Scarlet Ibis” is a touching story, full of symbolism and meaning. It is told through the narrator’s eyes, as he looks back on his childhood, and the remarkable life of his younger brother, Doodle. It is a story of two brothers, and how the pride of one person can be an incredible and destructive force.
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Storyboard Description
The Scarlet Ibis symbolism & themes
Storyboard Text
- THEMES
- Why are you crying? You taught Doodle to walk! It's amazing.
- PRIDE
- I can't tell them I did it for myself, so that kids at school wouldn't tease me.
- SCARLET IBIS
- It is so weak and helpless.. like me.
- “There is within me (and with sadness I have watched it in others) a knot of cruelty borne by the stream of love much as our blood sometimes bears the seed of our destruction…”; “All of us must have something to be proud of”; “Pride is a wonderful, terrible thing, a seed that bears two vines, life, and death.” These phrases shows the reader how pride is double sided. It teaches Doodle to walk, but for the narrator's selfish reasons.
- In this story, the scarlet ibis represents Doodle. Like the Ibis, Doodle was born and maintained a reddish hue. The color represents a warning of the death that will come.The death of the bird and the death of Doodle mirror each other: the bird’s legs and neck are positioned like Doodle's body; they are both found underneath a tree or bush that references red in its name; both are lost in a storm.The Ibis is also rare, much like Doodle. Its rarity, coupled with the color red, suggests that their fates were connected.
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