The Scarlet Ibis Conflict Essay

“How protected should you feel having an older brother?” is one of the most intense questions I ask myself while reading James Hurst’s, “The Scarlet Ibis.” The thought was like a heavy, motionless fog in my mind. Should things like this happen? James Hurst’s ability to manipulate with imagery and real-life situations will fool anyone to think that this text is not a fiction tale. His, “The Scarlet Ibis” piece is just another connection to the life siblings’ tug with every day. Brother goes through a self-conflict of trying to accept Doodle’s limited abilities. His shameful pride leads him to trying his all to make Doodle a “regular boy.” Brother twists the old Hindu saying, “Help your brother's boat across, and your own will reach the

“[I] run with him across the ends of the cotton rows and careen him around corners on two wheels. [Accidentally I turn] him over…” (Hurst 111). In this, the cotton fields symbolize how rough Brother is with Doodle, despite contradicting instruction. He careens him on the bumpy rows, Doodle’s life, and tumbling him over, his death, in the prickly cotton clutches. The cotton fields also symbolize hard work. All of the effort that Brother puts in for Doodle is like the process of actually picking cotton. “His hand trembling [reaching] out, and [touching] the casket he [screams].” (Hurst 112). You can see by this that the casket symbolizes shrieking and the awaiting death of Doodle because of Brother’s imperious ways that is also show when his last leap of pride snatches the breath of Doodle’s. The casket can also symbolize the doubt of Doodle living when he first was born, the doubt that he would be weak in all of his

“[During] winter, [now] we [are not making] much progress, for I [am] in school and Doodle [suffers] from one bad cold after another.” (Hurst 114). This statement is important because the winter symbolizes a downfall in Doodle and Brother’s “development program.” The program is just another patch of grass, blind folded by snowy sheets. The winter could also symbolize the pause in their progress in the analogy to forest animals during hibernation. “[With spring], rich and warm, we [are raising] our sights again.” (Hurst 114). You again notice how with the two different seasons come different results. The spring symbolizes the beginning of different results blossoming under the unchained sun. In contradiction, the spring symbolizes the budding of something seeming so beautiful but raiding with poison. This bud is a mere seedling of hope that is planted in their hearts, maybe awaiting to be dried upon by the sun’s rays or perhaps to be drowns by pellets of rain