the scarlet ibis essay prompts

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The Scarlet Ibis

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Story Analysis

Character Analysis

Symbols & Motifs

Literary Devices

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Discussion Questions

Why is it important to the narrator that Doodle learn athletic skills like rowing, swimming, and fighting, and what does this value indicate about his character?

The Armstrongs are depicted as a family of five, including Aunt Nicey . How does the narrative characterize Mama and Daddy as parents of a child with disabilities? Why does Hurst include the character of Aunt Nicey?

Contemporary critics view Hurst’s “The Scarlet Ibis” as “ableist,” or espousing the idea that individuals without physical or mental disabilities are superior. Using textual support, argue whether this is a fair assessment of the story.

The narrator describes Doodle as “a nice crazy, like someone you meet in your dreams” (48). What aspects of Doodle’s personality are different from those of his brother and their parents? Do these qualities make Doodle a sympathetic character?

When asked about the meaning of “The Scarlet Ibis,” James Hurst responded that the story “comments on the tenacity and the splendor of the human spirit” (“ James Hurst Obituary .” Legacy.com, 2013). How are these ideas at work in the text? Whose spirit does Hurst refer to in this quotation?

The narrator and Doodle grow up on a cotton farm surrounded by a swamp that flows to the sea. Hurst uses juxtaposition to depict the natural setting as dualistic. Nature reflects the sorrow the narrator feels at his brother’s death and reveals an unpredictable environment that mirrors the narrator’s sudden cruel turns. However, the natural world also shapes the lives of the two main characters in positive ways. How do the birds, swamps, fields, trees, and flowers influence the thinking of the narrator or Doodle? Consider Old Woman Swamp and Horsehead Landing in your response.

Following Doodle’s demonstration of his ability to walk, the family celebrates, and Aunt Nicey dances with the narrator until she accidentally stamps on his foot. Using hyperbole , or exaggerated statements, the narrator proclaims that he “thought [he] was crippled for life” (50). In what other ways does the story use archaic, outdated language to describe people with disabilities? What does this use of language tell us about the period in which the story takes place?

The narrator only tangentially mentions World War I, the blight of 1918, and Atlantic hurricanes. Why does Hurst include these historical elements in the story, and how do they add to the story of the brothers?

When Doodle is an infant, the family has a coffin constructed in case he dies. Later, this coffin is put away in the barn loft. Why does the family keep the casket, and what does the coffin symbolize?

When the family discovers the dying scarlet ibis in their yard, Doodle is the only one who stays behind to bury the bird. Why does he feel the need to conduct an impromptu funeral service for the ibis? What does Doodle’s behavior tell us about him as a character?