Sunday, March 27, 2016

What is the main problem in the story "The Scarlet Ibis" by James Hurst?

The main problem in the story is that Doodle is not strong enough to do what a normal brother can do.


Doodle’s weakness fills the plot of the story.  The narrator, Doodle’s brother, is never named.  Doodle is born sickly, and no one even thinks he is going to survive.  His brother says his name, William Armstrong, is only good for a coffin.  Yet despite the odds, Doodle struggles and grows.


Doodle’s brother is disappointed in having a younger sibling who is handicapped.  His desire for normalcy and companionship leads him to help Doodle become more normal.  When Doodle is five, he desperately wants to teach him to walk before his sixth birthday.



I helped Doodle up, and when he was standing alone I let them look. There wasn't a sound as Doodle walked slowly across the room and sat down at his place at the table. Then Mama began to cry and ran over to him, hugging him and kissing him.



Everyone is impressed and very sentimental.  It seems that with enough effort and help, Doodle can become slowly normal.  His brother feels the same way.  It was his persistence and desire to have a normal relationship with his younger brother that got Doodle to walk.


Brother wants more.  He wants a sibling who can run and play catch and do all of the things that brothers like to do together.



He didn't answer, so I placed my hand on his forehead and lifted his head. Limply, he fell backwards onto the earth. He had been bleeding from the mouth, and his neck and the front of his shirt were stained a brilliant red. 



Unfortunately, Doodle is not normal.  His brother pushes him a little too hard, and his attempts to make Doodle stronger are too much.  Doodle is too weak, and he ends up collapsing.  Like the scarlet ibis Doodle buried, he was too delicate for the situation in which he found himself.

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