“The Scarlet Ibis” Class Discussion

Quickwrite: Literary Devices “The last graveyard flowers were blooming, and their smell drifted across the cotton field and through every room of our house, speaking softly the names of our dead” (Hurst 1). What is being foreshadowed during this paragraph? Is it effective? How does the foreshadowing and symbolism used throughout affect the tone and mood of the story? Remember – mood is how it makes you feel, tone is how it affects the characters/setting/etc.

Brother’s Kindness “Renaming my brother was perhaps the kindest thing I ever did for him” (1). Do you agree with our narrator? Were any of the other things he did for Doodle?

Brother’s Selfishness “When Doodle was five years old, I was embarrassed at having a brother of that age who couldn’t walk, so I set out to teach him” (2). “Doodle walked only because I was ashamed of having a crippled brother” (2). Do you think Doodle could tell that Brother felt this way? What actions of Brother can help you prove it?

Doodle’s Indifference “‘Do you want to be different from everybody else when you start school?’ ‘Does it make any difference?’ ‘It certainly does’” (2). Why does Brother care so much? Why does Doodle care so little? How can you relate this to… Modern America? Burke High School? Television, movies, music, etc.?

Doodle: Our Scarlet Ibis “Even death did not mar its grace, for it lay on the earth like a broken vase of red flowers” (3). “For a long time, it seemed forever, I lay there crying, sheltering my fallen scarlet ibis from the heresy of rain” (4). What is special about the scarlet ibis? How do the ibis and Doodle relate?

Remembering Doodle “But sometimes…as I sit in the cool, green-draped parlor, the grindstone begins to turn, and time with all its changes is ground away—and I remember Doodle. Doodle…was a nice crazy, like someone you meet in your dreams” (1). Could this story be used be used to help raise awareness and sensitivity toward children (and other people) with disabilities? Why or why not? Could it help someone who has a family member with a disability? Why or why not?