Symbolism “The Scarlet Ibis” by James Hurst AKS Creations

Red Emotionally charged color Associated with war (possibly internal / external conflict in the story), anger, blood-lust, vengeance, fire, and the masculine. It can also mean love, passion, and health. Implies pain or death; blood Ibis is red, the “bleeding tree” makes us think of red, the bush beneath which Doodle dies is red, when Doodle is born his body is red. Copyright 2008 PresentationFx.com | Redistribution Prohibited | Image © 2008 Thomas Brian | This text section may be deleted for presentation.PresentationFx.com

Scarlet Ibis Copyright 2008 PresentationFx.com | Redistribution Prohibited | Image © 2008 Thomas Brian | This text section may be deleted for presentation.PresentationFx.com Symbol of Doodle even though they are not exactly alike The ibis is a way for Brother to cope with the pain and guilt of Doodle’s death “exotic beauty”

The Grindstone Only mentioned at the beginning, but a rather important symbol. Brother sees a parallel between the ibis dying in the bleeding tree, and Doodle dying “beneath a red nightshade bush beside the road”. Since the tree used to be “just outside the kitchen door” it would have reminded Brother of Doodle every time he saw it. The grindstone doesn’t simply take the tree’s physical place, but also its function as a reminder of Doodle, because it stands where the tree stands.

The Grindstone (cont’d) Brother thinks of his mind as a grindstone. The grindstone of his mind polishes and sharpens Brother’s memory. Brother’s memory is colored by his grief. This analogy works nicely because for Brother, the act of remembering is hard work, and it’s painful. However, remembering is also productive. It produces emotions and feelings in Brother, and allows him to deal with and order his guilt and grief.

The Barn Loft Reflects the minds of the characters; trapped, small, cramped, confining, and dark. A piece of Brother will always remain trapped in the barn loft, being mean to Doodle.

The Clove of the Seasons Clove (as used here) means split. Doodle and ibis die “in the clove” / no-season season. The clove is symbolically compatible with the way Brother feels about Doodle’s death.